Can you sell your house without an agent?

When Tim Denford sold his three-bedroom Brisbane house without an agent, he saved just over $20,000 in commissions.

“I sold it in two weeks,” he says. “I took my own photos and video, wrote my own sales pitch and paid $200 for a big ‘for sale’ sign. I saved so much money.”

Denford said he hadn’t really known it was possible to sell a home privately, until his sister paved the way with her property in NSW.

After speaking to a few real estate agents and gathering valuable intel, Denford says he and his wife decided to handle the sale themselves.

With multiple buyers interested in the property, which eventually sold for around $850,000, Denford says he has no regrets – even with the whole process taking place during the pandemic.

“I think I did it at a really difficult time, and it was all smooth as,” he says.

However, property experts, and even other sellers, say there’s plenty that can go wrong if you decide to ditch the agents.

Private sale dragged on and on

One Melbourne vendor, who wishes to remain anonymous, decided to sell her inner-city apartment to her tenant in 2021, taking what initially seemed like the “easy solution” of doing it herself.

But she says the buyer kept moving the dates for signing the contract of sale and for the settlement period.

“It dragged on for a few months until we decided to put it into the hands of a real estate agent who we had previously sold a property through,” she says.

“This created a new dynamic and moved things forward quickly.”

Given there was already a buyer in place, she and her partner negotiated a lower commission.

She says they wouldn’t try to sell by themselves again, preferring that a real estate agent handles the legal requirements and takes the emotion out of the process. 

Advice from a property flipper

Graham Whitfield, who has “flipped” 27 properties in Perth and now coaches others through his business Red Mane, has sold homes with and without an agent.

He believes that, for the average person, there aren’t many advantages to selling a house without an agent, because most vendors aren’t skilled negotiators.

“If you are going to sell it yourself, you probably only really want to be doing it in a hot market, where there are a lot of buyers, and a lot of FOMO [fear of missing out].”

Usually, he says, the benefits of saving on a commission should be outweighed by an agent’s ability to get multiple offers – and secure a price over and above their commission.

Why selling without an agent can be a bad idea

While an agent knows they can stand behind legislation to keep some things secret, Whitfield says a private seller can accidentally reveal too much, potentially leading to a lower price.

A lack of experience can also show in a rising market.

“If you’re looking at past sales evidence, that data can be lagging – it can be two or three months old,” he says. “A good agent knows what sold last week.”

Also, keep in mind that many buyers, especially those at the higher end, don’t like dealing directly with home owners, Whitfield says.

If you do decide to sell without an agent …

“If you are going to sell yourself, and you’re adamant that that’s going to be the best thing to do, make sure you’re advertising on the two big websites because that’s where your audience is going to be,” Whitfield says.

He doesn’t recommend selling off-market, because you’ll likely miss out on attracting multiple buyers who can drive up the price – unless it’s a “ridiculously good” offer.

His other tips? Engage a good conveyancer who can assist with the contract and look over any clauses you may be unfamiliar with.

And always check a buyer has finance pre-approval.

What you’ll need to do if you sell without an agent

• Decide the sale price or range (consider engaging a valuer)
• Advertise the property
• Negotiate on price
• Obtain a deposit
• Provide the contract of sale
• Handle settlement.

A real estate agent’s perspective

Besser + Co director Dion Besser says private sellers commonly make several mistakes, including presenting their property in a way that doesn’t connect with the majority of buyers.

Sellers also have an emotional connection to their home, and often get overexcited about their asking price, he says.

This leads to fewer people viewing the property online – and, therefore, fewer buyers inspecting the home, limiting the sale price.

While a good agent is usually skilled at building rapport and asking questions to find out who will pay the most, vendors often mistakenly focus on selling the property to every buyer, Besser adds.

“A professional real estate [agent] who can communicate clearly with their clients is more likely to be able to advise people confidently, versus a vendor who is perhaps a little bit emotional or unprepared,” he says.