FSBO: What No One Tells You About Selling Solo

So, you’re thinking about selling your home For Sale By Owner (FSBO)? Maybe you’re interested in saving thousands on commission, making a quick sale, and proving that, yes, you can do it yourself. And hey, you might pull it off. But before you grab a “For Sale” sign and start Googling “how to stage a home with zero budget,” let’s talk about what really happens when you go FSBO.

I’ve been in real estate a long time, and I’ve seen it all — the wins, the disasters, and the downright hilarious missteps. So, let’s break it down: the pros and cons of selling your home yourself from a veteran realtor’s perspective (with a little humor along the way).

Pro: You Control Everything

✅ You set the price.
✅ You schedule the showings.
✅ You handle negotiations.
✅ You decide whether to accept or reject an offer.

Sounds empowering, right? Well…

Con: You Control Everything

🚨 You set the price — without the help of market data and professional insight, you might either underprice your home (leaving money on the table) or overprice it (and watch it sit on the market longer than a half-eaten donut in the breakroom).
🚨 You schedule the showings — meaning you’ll spend your weekends cleaning, rearranging furniture, and relocating your pets, only to have… no one show up.
🚨 You handle negotiations — so when a buyer calls with an offer that promises to pay you in installments, you have to figure out how to say, “Uhhh, no thanks” without hurting anyone’s feelings.

Pro: You Save Money on Commission (Maybe?)

Look, I get it — no one wants to pay commission. If you sell your home without an agent, you could keep that money in your pocket.

Con: You Might Lose Money Elsewhere

Here’s the thing: doing a really good job of listing and selling a home costs real money and time.

• Professional photography & videography? Not cheap. Buyers form first impressions in seconds, and dark, blurry phone photos or low-quality video just won’t cut it. I hire top-tier photographers & videographers who capture your home in the best light — literally.
• Marketing? Also not free. Simply putting your home on Zillow won’t drive traffic the way a targeted digital marketing campaign will. I invest in Google Ads, Facebook & Instagram promotions, and high-exposure MLS listings to ensure your home is seen by hundreds of serious buyers — not just your neighbor who’s curious about your countertops.
• Listing exposure? Without the MLS, you’re missing out on a lot of buyers. The MLS feeds into hundreds of real estate websites where buyers are actively searching. Without this reach, your home could take much longer to sell, leading to price reductions.
• Pricing strategy? If you’re off by just a little, you could end up selling for way less than your home is actually worth. I use market data, comparative pricing analysis, and insights from similar sold homes to set a price that attracts buyers while maximizing your profit.
• Showcasing your home? I provide staging advice, open houses, and customized marketing materials to help your home stand out. A well-staged home can sell faster and for more money, and I help make that happen.

So, while you could save on commission, the reality is that without professional marketing and pricing, you could end up leaving a lot more money on the table than you expected.

Pro: You Get to Host Your Own Open House!

You set the date, deep clean the house, light some candles, and prepare to dazzle potential buyers. Maybe you even bake cookies to make the place smell extra inviting.

Con: Your Open House Is… A Ghost Town 👻

You worked all week prepping, kicked your dog out for the afternoon, and no one shows up. Except for… your nosy neighbors, who wander in to casually snoop, judge your furniture, and peek inside your medicine cabinet.

Meanwhile, realtors call you non-stop, promising the sun, the moon, and the stars if you’d only just list with them and quit being silly with this FSBO nonsense.

Pro: You Can Negotiate Like a Pro!

No pushy realtor pressuring you — you’re in control! You can handle offers however you want.

Con: You Get to Negotiate Like a Pro (Or Not…)

Here’s the thing about negotiating a home sale — it’s a skill. A skill that professional buyers’ agents have and you might not.

Example: One of my favorite FSBO stories? A seller finally gets an offer after weeks of waiting… only to realize it’s just a verbal offer from a buyer with highly questionable finances. Spoiler alert: The deal did not close.

So, Should You Sell FSBO or List With a Realtor?

Listen, FSBO isn’t impossible — but it’s a job. A real job that requires marketing, pricing expertise, negotiation skills, and a whole lot of patience. Can you do it? Sure. Will it be easy? Probably not. Will it save you money? Maybe, maybe not.

But if you’re tired of the FSBO runaround or just read this article and thought, “You know what? I’d rather have a pro handle this,” then let’s talk.

💬 Let’s chat about what I can actually sell your home for and how much my help will cost. No pressure, no pushy sales talk — just real numbers and a real strategy that gets results.

Let’s get your home SOLD — without the stress, without the nosy neighbors, and definitely without the mystery handshake offers. 😉