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Approximately 20 percent of the houses sold in the United States each year are sales made directly by property owners without using a real estate agent. Selling your house yourself, without having an agent represent you, is commonly referred to as a For Sale By Owner or FSBO ('fizz-bo').
We know some people who've successfully sold their houses by themselves and others who've made a major mess of their transactions. Whether you opt to sell your house without an agent or conclude that hiring an agent is a better way to go, our paramount concern is simple: that your sale is as profitable and painless as possible. To that end, this chapter contains an objective look at the pros and cons of FSBOs.
After conversations with people who've actually gone through a FSBO, we've concluded that each seller's personal situation and motivation for selling is unique. The following sections describe the most common reasons why sellers choose to sell without using an agent.
