What you save, and what you take on, selling by owner
Selling by owner saves the listing side of the commission, which averaged 3.00% in Ohio in Clever Real Estate’s 2026 agent survey. On a $180,000 house that is about $5,400. In exchange, you do the listing agent’s job yourself.
That job includes:
- Pricing: pulling recent comparable sales and adjusting for condition.
- Marketing: photos, a listing, and usually a flat-fee MLS entry so buyers’ agents see it.
- Showings: scheduling, being available, and keeping the house ready.
- Negotiating: offers, inspection requests and appraisal gaps.
- Paperwork: the purchase agreement, required disclosures and coordinating with a title company.
FSBO is rare. Clever, citing NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, says 5% of homes sold by owner, an all-time low, and 30% of those sellers already knew their buyer. NAR’s own release says 91% of sellers used an agent.
The paperwork an Ohio FSBO seller handles
An Ohio FSBO seller is responsible for the same legal pieces an agent would normally track. The main ones:
- Ohio’s residential property disclosure form, completed for the buyer. Our guide to the Ohio residential property disclosure form covers who must use it and who is exempt.
- Lead-based paint disclosure for homes built before 1978. Federal rules require telling the buyer what you know about lead paint and giving them a 10-day chance to test, which they can waive. See lead paint disclosure when selling a house.
- A written purchase agreement. Ohio doesn’t require an attorney, per Clever, which also reports that about 36% of recent sellers who skipped a realtor made legal mistakes.
- The conveyance fee, paid by the seller: 1 mill statewide plus up to 3 mills set by the county. See the Ohio conveyance fee guide.
A title company handles the deed, the mortgage payoff and the closing either way, and it can hold the buyer’s earnest money so neither side has to trust the other with it. The step-by-step version is in how to sell a house by owner in Ohio.
The buyer’s agent question
Most buyers still use an agent, and that shapes an FSBO sale. NAR reports 88% of buyers used an agent or broker in its 2025 profile. Since the settlement practice changes of August 17, 2024, those buyers sign a written agreement with their agent, and you, the seller, can choose whether to offer that agent compensation.
If you don’t offer it, some buyers will have to pay their agent themselves, which can shrink your buyer pool or show up as a lower offer. If you do, Clever’s survey puts the Ohio average buyer’s agent fee at 2.65%. On that $180,000 house, that is about $4,770, so a typical FSBO sale still carries most of a commission’s weight.
Selling by owner versus selling to a cash buyer
Both paths cut out the listing agent. They differ in who does the work and how much risk stays with you.
| Selling by owner (FSBO) | Selling to a direct cash buyer | |
|---|---|---|
| Listing commission | None | None charged by us |
| Buyer’s agent fee | Your choice; Ohio average 2.65% if offered | None |
| Your time | Pricing, marketing, showings, negotiating | One walkthrough of 15 to 20 minutes |
| Repairs | Often needed for a financed buyer | None; sold as-is |
| Contract | You draft or hire an attorney | Written purchase agreement we walk through with you |
| Financing risk | Buyer’s loan and appraisal can fail | No lender involved |
| Closing costs | Seller pays their share | We pay the normal closing costs |
| Price | Retail, if you price and present it well | Below retail, priced as-is |
When FSBO is the right call
FSBO is the right call when you already have a buyer you trust and the house is in good condition. That might be a tenant who wants to buy, a relative, or a neighbor who has asked about it. With the buyer found and no showings needed, most of the work disappears, and you keep both sides of the commission if they don’t use an agent.
It can also work for a move-in ready house in a market where buyers are competing, if you have time and are comfortable negotiating. Clever’s Ohio guide describes the state as a moderate seller’s market in fall 2026, which helps a well-priced FSBO listing.
If you go this way, a few habits protect you:
- Price from recent sales of similar houses within a mile, not from online estimates alone.
- Pay for a flat-fee MLS listing so buyers’ agents can find the house.
- Ask every buyer for a mortgage preapproval letter or proof of funds before you accept.
- Have an attorney draft or review the purchase agreement.
- Let the title company hold the earnest money and run the closing.
When selling for cash is simpler
A cash sale is simpler when the house would not appeal to a financed buyer as it stands. That covers a dated kitchen and baths, an old roof, a wet basement, or a house still full of a parent’s belongings.
It is also simpler when you can’t be available for showings, live out of state, or need a closing date you can count on. A tenant-occupied rental is another case, since every retail showing has to be arranged around the tenant. Our page on selling your house without a realtor walks through the direct option, and you can get a written offer to compare with your FSBO price.
