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8 min read Jan 18, 2024

Paperwork for Selling a House Without a Realtor (2024)

Paperwork for selling a house without a realtor

When you sell your house without a realtor, you go through endless paperwork. The paperwork process starts before you even list your house and goes right up to closing.

Dealing with it can be stressful, especially for FSBO home sellers. However, with the right resources and information, even you can efficiently navigate the paperwork process. Here’s our guide to paperwork for selling a house without a realtor.

Paperwork for Selling a House Without a Realtor

Let’s look at the paperwork you’ll need to sell your house at every stage of your home-selling process. We have listed each document according to when you may require it during the transaction.

👉 Houzeo has created a 100% online platform to digitize For Sale By Owner paperwork.

FSBO Documents Required Before Listing

Before you list your home for sale on MLS, you need to conduct a Comparative Market Analysis. This analysis involves the study of current market values for properties similar to the one you are selling.

FSBO Paperwork Needed to List on the MLS

  1. MLS Input Form: It’s a data entry form where you enter the listing information about your property.
  2. Seller Disclosures: Seller disclosure is a standard checklist that reveals the seller’s knowledge about the condition of the property. Seller disclosures vary from state to state* and must be submitted carefully.

*U.S. federal law also requires anybody selling a house built before 1978 to fill out a lead-based paint disclosure form.

Mandatory FSBO Paperwork

  1. Deed or property title: A Property Title Report contains the results of the title search, the legal owner, and a description of the property. It protects the buyer against unforeseen financial issues with the property.
  2. Property tax bill: The property tax bill reflects the tax paid by the homeowner on the property. The state and local governments use this tax to build local programs and infrastructure.
  3. Mortgage statement: It’s a detailed statement that provides specifics of your loan such as the payable amount. The mortgage lender provides this statement.
  4. Property survey: It’s a legal document that shows the demarcation or the borderline of the property. It helps you against property boundary disputes.
  5. Comparative Market Analysis (CMA): CMA shows an estimate of the home’s market value based on sales of similar properties in the area. A CMA tool can help you price your home accurately.

» Who Draws up Contract in For Sale by Owner Sale: Does the seller or buyer write the FSBO agreement? Find out now!

Optional FSBO Paperwork

  1. Certificate of compliance: It’s a document that certifies the compliance of your property with local laws. This helps potential buyers know if the property has violated any laws.
  2. Original sales contract: The buyer and the seller enter into a sales contract when the home is purchased. It details the sale price and any disclosures the previous owner made.

Other FSBO Paperwork You May Need

  1. Past utility bills: A buyer may ask you for a utility bill to get an idea of how much they may have to pay on utilities.
  2. Receipts for improvements and repairs: This isn’t requested explicitly but these receipts imply that the house has been looked after, or recently renovated.
  3. Maintenance service records for appliances: The buyer may want to see maintenance records and warranties of the appliances to know their current state.
  4. Septic system inspection: Some localities require the inspection of the septic system within a certain time period of a sale.
  5. Water quality test: Some municipalities may require a water quality test.
    ✍️ Side Note: Other rarely shared documents include estate settlement documents such as a will or a testament. A divorce decree may also be shared if the home was formerly or currently owned by an ex-spouse.

FSBO Paperwork Required Once Your House is Listed

This new phase of your home sale comes with another stack of FSBO paperwork. A seller looking to sell a house without a realtor must consider listing the house on the multiple listing service (MLS).

💡 Learn How to List on MLS For Sale By Owner: Here’s our detailed guide on how you can list your house on the MLS without an agent.

Offer negotiation

Negotiating offers is an inevitable phase when selling your house without a realtor. If you want to succeed in selling your home without a realtor, prepare yourself to field and negotiate offers.

Houzeo’s platform provides an option to counter offers within a few clicks. Additionally, relevant real estate documents are updated automatically.

Here are the documents you’ll need to negotiate offers:-

  • Counteroffer Form: The best offer is when it’ll be competitive across several parameters – deposit, financing, inspection contingency, closing timeline, etc. You can request any one of these parameters to be updated when you counter an offer.
  • Request for Highest & Best Form: If you have multiple offers and a timeline by which you’d like to pick an offer, you can call for the Highest & Best offer from all interested parties.

Inspection Related

  1. Inspection report: A home inspector evaluates the house to know if there are any issues that affect the safety or value of the house. Accordingly, they document them in an inspection report that may form the basis for renegotiations.
  2. Response to buyer’s repair request: The buyer can request the seller to make repairs if any problem is discovered during the home inspection. A seller can respond to these requests via email or a “repair request response form” as provided by the buyer’s agent or listing agent.
  3. Appraisal report: A home appraisal includes unbiased market price, details and photos of the property, comps, and the process that the home appraiser used to arrive at a final price.

Other FSBO Paperwork You May Need

  1. Contingency removal form: A contingency removal form lists the pre-conditions of the sale. Home appraisal report or inspection report are considered contingency restraints without which the sale is hampered.
  2. Homeowners’ Association (HOA) documents: HOAs help maintain a cohesive atmosphere in the community by establishing responsibilities amidst local area residents and the association. These documents contain information and regulations that homeowners must follow.

Get access to Federal & State Disclosures With Houzeo!



Register yourself with Houzeo for a smooth FSBO journey.


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For Sale By Owner Closing Documents

After you’ve gone through 2 phases of selling a house without a realtor paperwork, you will require certain documents at closing.

  1. Affidavit of Title: This document is a sworn statement regarding ownership of the property that provides certainty about chain-of-title. It protects buyers from inheriting the legal issues of the home’s current owner.
  2. Deed: It’s a physical document that transfers ownership of the property from the seller to the buyer. Property ownership cannot be transferred without a deed.
  3. Property tax records: Sellers also need to have tax documents for selling a house. These include local tax data like the tax rate, property assessment value, and tax exemptions of the property.
  4. Closing Disclosure or the HUD: Also called a settlement sheet, this statement contains all costs and credits of the real estate transaction. You can understand all the expenses of the transaction with the settlement statement
  5. Settlement Statement: This statement summarizes all the expenses involved in the transaction.
  6. 1099-S tax form: It is a tax form that specifies capital gains you will owe on the home sale. Required by law to record non-employment income earned by a taxpayer. You can check if you qualify for an exception.

💡 Learn More: America’s Top Discount Real Estate Brokers

Free Paperwork for Selling a House by Owner

The paperwork for selling a house without a realtor to sell a house can be found online for free. We’ve compiled a state-wise list of the essential selling house by owner paperwork you will need when selling a house without a realtor.

If you can’t find FSBO documents free to sell house by owner, there are paid options like USLegal. Many legal forms, such as tax records, property surveys, and deeds, are usually found through local or state government offices.

Final Word

Real estate paperwork that comes along with selling a house without a realtor may overwhelm you. As an FSBO seller, you must be prepared to spend considerable time, effort, and extensive learning of the real estate market to get through the paperwork.

We advise you to consult a real estate attorney for the sale agreement and disclosure paperwork even though you may be equipped to handle paperwork all by yourself.

If you think what we discussed here is overwhelming, consider opting for a tech-centric, seamless platform like Houzeo.

Houzeo’s Flat Fee MLS Listing plans get you access to paperwork such as Federal & State Disclosures and cutting-edge tools like Offers Dashboard, and Showings Management that makes your selling journey easy.

Check out how Houzeo works in this video:

What is Houzeo?

An overview of what the platform is all about

Start Your MLS Listing NOW!

» Houzeo Reviews: Find out what customers have to say about Houzeo.com

Also Read

Land Contract: Learn how land contracts are more flexible than traditional mortgages.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I sell my house myself without a realtor?

Yes, it is possible to sell your house without a realtor and handle all the paperwork that comes along with it. However, it is advised that you consult a real estate attorney for the sale agreement and seller's disclosure-related paperwork.

2. What paperwork do I need to sell my house myself?

Amongst various other documents, you'll require seller disclosure documents, inspection paperwork, appraisal paperwork, and closing paperwork to sell your house yourself.

3. What is Comparative Market Analysis (CMA)? And how does it help in selling a house?

Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) is a tool that shows you an estimate of your home’s market value based on the sale price of similar properties in your area. It helps you price your home correctly and competitively.

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