Selling a House Without a Realtor in Texas
Nothing in Texas law requires a real estate agent to sell a house. Plenty of things in Texas law still apply when you do it yourself. Here is the honest version, including where it saves money and where it costs more than it saves.
What you still have to do
- Deliver the Seller's Disclosure Notice. Texas Property Code 5.008. On or before the contract date. The liability for a bad disclosure is the same whether or not an agent is involved.
- Use a valid contract. Owners can use the TREC promulgated contract forms, which TREC makes available to the public, but a mistake can cost money or make the contract unenforceable, so many owner sellers have a real estate attorney prepare or review the contract and addenda, including the option period and the third party financing addendum.
- Open title. The title company runs the search, issues the owner's policy at the state set rate, handles the payoff and prorations, and closes. This part is the same with or without an agent.
- Handle the buyer's agent question. Since the 2024 settlement, buyers sign their own agreement with their agent. Most will ask you to contribute to that fee in their offer. Decide your answer before the first showing.
- Price, market, show, negotiate, manage deadlines. This is the part that is actually the agent's job, and it is where most owner sales lose money or time.
What the numbers say
NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers reported owner sales at 5 percent of the market, a record low, and a median owner sale price of $360,000 against $425,000 for agent assisted sales. The two groups are not the same houses, so the 18 percent gap overstates the agent's effect, but the direction has held for years. Where owner sales work: a known buyer, a family transfer, a very hot block, or a seller who prices from real comparables and has time to manage the process.
A middle path
If you want exposure without the full fee, a limited service listing puts the house in the MLS and the portals for a flat fee while you handle the rest. It solves the visibility problem and none of the others. Whatever route you take, get the number right first: a home value report is free, and it is the same report we build for our own listings.
Not sure which way to go?
Call and we will tell you honestly whether your house is a good candidate for an owner sale.
Owners who sell on their own still pay the title side of closing, covered in seller closing costs in Texas, and our guide to how long it takes to sell shows each stage.
Questions people ask
Can I sell my house without a realtor in Texas?
Yes. You still must deliver the Seller's Disclosure Notice, and use a valid contract, and owner sales usually close through a title company or a real estate attorney. Nothing in Texas law requires an agent.
Do FSBO homes sell for less?
NAR's 2025 profile reported a median owner sale of $360,000 against $425,000 for agent assisted sales, an 18 percent gap, and owner sales were 5 percent of the market. The two groups sell different houses, so the gap is not all the agent.
Do I have to pay a buyer's agent if I sell by owner?
No. Since 2024 the buyer's agent fee is set in the buyer's own agreement. Many buyers will ask you to contribute to it in the offer, and you can accept, counter or decline.
Selling in Texas, the full series:
- Selling a House in Texas
- Cost of Selling a House in Texas
- Seller Closing Costs in Texas
- Capital Gains Tax When Selling a House in Texas
- Selling a House Without a Realtor in Texas
- Selling a House As Is in Texas
- How Long Does It Take to Sell a House in Texas?
General information, not legal or tax advice. Figures quoted from the named sources on the dates shown.