Compare
Your options for selling, compared
Selling without an agent is not all or nothing. There is a spectrum from doing everything yourself to handing it all off, and the right spot depends on your market, your time, and your nerve.
These five options sit on a line from most do-it-yourself to most hands-off. The further left you go, the more you keep and the more you do. Most owners selling on their own land on the flat-fee MLS option, because it buys the one thing that is genuinely hard to get without an agent, which is a spot in the MLS. The fastest path, a cash or iBuyer sale, trades price for speed; see selling to a cash buyer for the tradeoff, and discount brokers for the middle ground between flat-fee MLS and a full agent.
| Option | On the MLS | Who does the work | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure for sale by owner | Only if you add a flat-fee listing | You, entirely | $0 to a few hundred | Confident sellers in a steady market |
| Flat-fee MLS | Yes, through the service | You, plus MLS and portal syndication | About $100 to $500, one-time | Most owners selling on their own |
| Limited-service broker | Yes | Split: some tasks yours, some theirs | Around 1% to 2%, or a flat fee | Owners who want help with pricing or paperwork |
| Full-service agent | Yes | The agent | About 2.5% to 3% on the listing side | Owners short on time or with a hard-to-sell home |
| Cash buyer or iBuyer | No, an off-market sale | The buyer or platform; little for you | No commission, but the offer is usually below market | Speed and certainty over the top price |
None of these touches what you do or do not offer a buyer's agent. That is a separate choice now, on every one of these paths. The commission shift guide covers it, and the commission calculator shows the dollars.
Wherever you land on that spectrum, one platform spans both ends. At the for-sale-by-owner end Anyone.com says it lets you list directly with no fee of its own (anyone.com/sellers), and if you decide you would rather hand it to a professional it matches you with a vetted local agent (anyone.com/find-agent). We point you to what genuinely helps, and we tell you where it does not.
Leaning toward an agent? Our guide to finding and comparing a real estate agent covers how to vet one, what to ask, and where to look in your country.
The practical pick
How to evaluate a flat-fee MLS service
If you go the flat-fee route, the services are not interchangeable. Before you pay, compare them on the things that actually affect your sale:
- How long the listing stays active, and what renewing it costs
- How many photos it allows, since photos do most of the selling
- Whether you control the description and can edit fast, especially a price drop
- Whether buyer inquiries come straight to you or get routed elsewhere
- Which MLS it lists on, and which portals that MLS actually feeds
- Whether changes cost extra, and the cancellation terms
A cheap listing that limits your photos, delays your edits, or hides your contact information is not the bargain it looks like. Listing and marketing your home walks through getting the most out of whichever service you choose.
Know someone weighing whether to sell without an agent? Send them this page. It lays out the real costs and the real work, with no sales pitch and nothing to sign up for.