If you’re one of the many prospective home buyers wondering how to buy a house without a realtor, there’s good news: it’s a fairly simple process, and a lot of people pull it off. But there are risks involved that you need to be aware of.
According to a recent Clever study, 21% of buyers in 2025 successfully bought their home without using a real estate agent. That’s nearly one in four of all home buyers.
Here are the pros and cons of buying a house without a realtor, why you might want to consider (or avoid) buying a home without an agent, and what steps to take to buy a house without a realtor.
💡Looking for something in the middle? Try a low-commission real estate agent. Clever vets top-performing agents and negotiates insider rates so you can get the best of both worlds: full service from an agent for just 1.5%—that’s half the going rate. Find Clever agents in your area today.
Pros and cons of buying a house without a realtor
Navigating the home buying process without an agent isn't right for everyone. If you're not sure if you should hire a realtor, consider the pros and cons of buying a house without an agent.
Pros
- Total control over your buying experience
- Fast, smooth transaction
- Negotiate directly with the seller
- No chance of having to pay buyer’s agent commission out of pocket
- Free online tools make it easier to find available properties without an agent
Cons
- Can be time-consuming and unpredictable
- No help with negotiations or paperwork
- No direct access to the MLS database or off-market properties
- No expert insights or advice about the local market
- No recommendations for trustworthy home inspectors, appraisers, and other professionals
In a nutshell, buying a house without an agent gives you complete control over your purchase. You'll be able to search for homes based on your exact specifications, handle negotiations on your own terms without going through any middlemen, and only look at houses you genuinely want to buy.
On the other hand, complete control also means complete responsibility. You won't have the reliable expertise or insights an agent can provide. You won’t be able to list your home on the MLS, though there are ways for you to get your listing on the MLS without an agent. You’ll have to negotiate directly with the listing agent, who’s likely handled many similar negotiations before. You'll have to find local pros, coordinate your closing details, and handle all the paperwork on your own.
While this might sound intimidating, don’t feel you have to strike the perfect deal by yourself. A Clever recent study found that 82% of people who bought a house in 2023 or 2024 have regrets—and many of them used an agent.
Luckily, there’s a happy medium. Clever Real Estate connects you with pre-vetted, experienced local agents who can help you find your dream home, and put some extra cash in your pocket when you need it most with a home buyer rebate.
Can I (and should you) buy a house without a realtor?
Yes, you can buy a house without a realtor! If you feel capable and comfortable taking on all the responsibilities of a buyer's agent, this could be an option for you.
That said, buying a home without a realtor isn’t necessarily for everyone. Every home purchase is unique, and every home buyer has unique needs. Some circumstances in which you might not need a real estate agent are the following:
You know the seller
If you're wondering how to buy a house from a family member without a realtor, the answer’s pretty simple. As long as you’re comfortable negotiating directly with the friend or relative who's selling the home, you can just get together and make a handshake deal. This is fairly common — almost half of all FSBO sales were between friends or family members.
However, you might want to hire a real estate attorney to make sure all the paperwork and forms are correct.
You've bought and sold real estate before
If you've experienced several real estate transactions or have worked as a real estate agent before, you're less likely to require a realtor's assistance because you know how it works and what to look out for.
A FSBO seller isn't offering the buyer's agent commission
Some FSBO properties are listed by people who aren't willing to pay a buyer's agent commission. Although this is a pretty rare situation, buying without an agent could save you money under these conditions. Otherwise, if the seller refuses to offer a buyer's agent commission, you'd have to cover that fee yourself.
You're buying a new construction home
Newly constructed homes can be sold directly by the builder themselves or a realtor hired by the builder. These types of homes are often thought to be move-in ready, but there can still be underlying issues.
If you decide to buy a new construction home without an agent, make sure to take a few precautions:
- Research the builder's other projects
- Get multiple quotes from lenders — not just the lender recommended by the builder
- Hire a home inspector
- Have a real estate attorney read over the purchase agreement before you sign
Overall, it's often a net gain for a buyer to use a realtor. If your agent negotiates $10,000 in discounts and seller concessions for you, you’ll come out ahead even if you have to pay a few thousand in commission. At the very least, you should consult with an agent to see how they can help you in your home search.
» LEARN: How real estate commissions work
Clever Real Estate can connect you with top-rated local agents to discuss your housing wants and needs. When you find the right match, you'll pay nothing to work with that agent to buy your house. And as a bonus, eligible buyers can get part of their home's purchase price as cash back after the sale is complete.
What are you missing out on by buying a house without an agent?
If you buy a house without an agent, you're not just losing a helper — you're losing a safety net. The risks aren't hypothetical: they show up as real dollars lost, deals that fall apart, and problems you didn't see coming.
Here's what experienced agents actually bring to the table and what tends to go wrong without one.
You might overpay: Without an agent running comparable sales for you, you're relying on Zillow estimates and gut instinct to decide what a home is worth. Agents pull recent, hyper-local comps: not just list prices, but actual closed prices, price-per-square-foot trends, and days on market. If a home is listed at $425,000 but similar homes on the same street closed at $395,000 last month, an agent would know that. You might not.
Inspection issues can blindside you: A good buyer's agent has walked through hundreds of homes and knows what to flag before an inspector even shows up: sagging rooflines, water stains, HVAC units that are past their lifespan. They'll also help you negotiate repairs or credits after the inspection. Without an agent, you're more likely to accept the inspection report at face value and miss the chance to negotiate $10,000–$20,000 in repairs or price reductions.
The paperwork can sink you: Real estate contracts are dense, and a missed contingency or incorrect deadline can cost you your earnest money deposit ... or legally bind you to a deal you don't want. In states that don't require a real estate attorney at closing, unrepresented buyers are especially vulnerable here.
Listing agents aren't on your side: When you contact a listing agent directly, remember: they work for the seller. They may be perfectly professional, but their fiduciary duty is to get the seller the best deal, not you. Some unrepresented buyers mistake the listing agent's helpfulness for advocacy — and that misunderstanding can be expensive.
You lose access to off-market opportunities: Agents often hear about homes before they hit the MLS through their brokerage network, pocket listings, or relationships with other agents. Without that network, you're limited to what's publicly listed on sites like Zillow and Realtor.com.
» MORE: What's a Buyer's Agent?
Steps to buy a house without a realtor
1. Figure out your budget and get preapproved for a mortgage.
A good rule is to spend no more than 28% of your total monthly income on housing, and no more than 36% on all debts. This is also known as a debt-to-income ratio, which is how lenders evaluate borrower risk and determine whether to give you a loan and for what amount. Our mortgage affordability calculator can help you ballpark a budget.
Keep your other debts and monthly payments in mind to make sure your budget won't be strained with a mortgage. Once you have an estimated budget in mind, review which types of loans you qualify for and get quotes from multiple lenders before applying for a mortgage.
And plan for more than just a down payment. A recent study found that homebuyers spent an average of just under $32,000 on their home purchase, above and beyond their down payment.
2. Research the neighborhoods you're interested in and review recent sales.
Look at local schools, crime statistics, property development trends, and other factors that could impact your decision to move there.
You might want to dig into local property tax rates to factor those into your budget as well.
3. Set up tours to view homes you like.
When you find a home that interests you, you can call the listing agent directly or attend an upcoming open house.
If the home is listed for sale on a site like Zillow, you can also schedule a tour through the website. An agent will show you around the property, but keep in mind that they may try to pressure you into working with them.
Many websites also offer virtual tours, which can be a good way to evaluate homes before booking a tour.
4. When you like a home, ask for the seller’s disclosures.
In a caveat emptor or "buyer beware" state, if the seller isn't required to disclose something, they probably won't. Caveat emptor states include:
Even in “buyer beware” states, sellers are required to answer direct questions about the home's condition honestly. You may want to prepare a list of questions for the seller about why they're selling, what the neighborhood is like, any past issues they've had with the home, or other relevant details that could make or break the sale for you.
5. Make an offer.
Decide on how much you want to offer for the house, and then submit an official number to the listing agent. Also think about whether you want to include contingencies in your offer— but keep in mind that offers with no contingencies, or minimal ones, are more appealing to sellers.
» LEARN: The different types of contingencies, explained
At this stage, you might want to think about hiring a real estate attorney to review your documents before submitting the offer.
6. Hire a home inspector and get an appraisal.
If an inspection reveals serious problems or an appraisal comes back too low, you'll be able to use this information to bargain with the seller or listing agent. If you included inspection and appraisal contingencies in your offer, you'll have time to renegotiate or walk away from the sale altogether after these steps have been completed.
What's the difference between an inspection and an appraisal?
A home inspection simply reveals any structural defects or problems with a property. An appraisal takes the property's condition, location, and market trends into account to estimate its fair market value.
» MORE: Appraisal Value vs Market Value: What's the Difference?
The inspection is for the buyer. Getting an inspection often uncovers at least a few areas that could need repair. After the inspection has been completed, you can negotiate any repairs you'd like the seller to make or request a lower price.
The appraisal is for the lender. A low appraisal might cause your lender to deny your mortgage unless you can personally cover the difference between the appraised value and the listed sales price. You could try to ask the seller to lower the sales price to the appraised value, but this is unlikely in a strong seller's market.
7. Close on your home.
On closing day, you should do a final walk-through before signing all the required documents, making the down payment, and paying any remaining closing costs.
If you choose to buy a house without an agent, make sure you fully understand what you'll be expected to pay on closing day.
Your state may require you to hire a real estate attorney to certify the title, draft or review the deed, and/or attend the closing process. States that require an attorney for at least one part of the closing process include:
- Alabama
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- New Hampshire
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Real estate attorney requirements vary by state, so make sure you research the laws for your area.
Is buying a house without a realtor worth it?
It depends on your experience level, the complexity of the deal, and how much time you're willing to invest.
If you're buying from someone you know, purchasing new construction with a builder's sales team, or you've been through the process before, going without an agent can work, especially if you hire a real estate attorney to review your contracts.
But if you're a first-time buyer navigating a competitive market, the savings from skipping an agent may not be worth the risk. Even a small negotiation mistake — accepting a price $15,000 too high, missing a repair credit, or waiving a contingency you shouldn't have — can wipe out any commission savings several times over.
Here's a quick way to think about it:
| Your situation | Agent recommended? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Buying from family/friends | Probably not — but hire an attorney | Simple transaction, less adversarial |
| Experienced buyer in a slow market | Optional | You have leverage and knowledge |
| First-time buyer in a competitive market | Yes | Too many ways to overpay or miss red flags |
| New construction purchase | Optional | Builder has their own sales process |
| Complex transaction (short sale, estate, etc.) | Yes | Legal and title issues need expert navigation |
The middle ground: If you want to save on commission but don't want to go fully solo, consider a flat-fee buyer's agent, a transaction coordinator, or working with a low-commission service like Clever Real Estate. Clever connects you with top-performing local agents at reduced rates — so you get professional support without paying full price. Eligible buyers may also qualify for Clever Cash Back after closing. Find Clever agents in your area.