How To Sell A House By Owner In California

Want to sell your California home without having to pay a real estate agent? You can always go the DIY route by marketing and selling your home yourself — often referred to as “for sale by owner,” or FSBO for short. According to a 2024 study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 6 percent of home sellers opt for this strategy.

But before you take the FSBO plunge, you should know that selling a home without the help of a professional is a lot of work. In addition, while you will bypass a listing agent’s commission fee, you might still be on the hook for your buyer’s agent’s fee, depending on the terms of your contract. And you could end up pocketing less profit on the sale, too. Explore how to sell a house by owner in California, along with the work involved and all the pros and cons, below.

How to sell a house by owner in California

Homeowners who choose to pursue a FSBO sale in California, or any other state, will need to handle all the responsibilities that a real estate agent otherwise would. This means managing a wide array of tasks, from research to marketing to negotiations. Let’s break down the main responsibilities.

Create a listing

To put your California home on the market, you must first create a listing. This requires writing an appealing description of the property to attract potential buyers, making sure to cover essential details like age, square footage, lot size and number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Be sure to highlight any special features the property has — this might include a swimming pool, a water or mountain view or a charging station for electric cars, for example — as well as information about the neighborhood and school district.

High-quality listing photos are also crucial: According to NAR data, all homebuyers use the internet as part of their house-hunt, and 43 percent start their home search online. You don’t want them to click away if they don’t see a great image. Consider videos too, and think about enlisting a professional photographer to make sure the job is done right.

The most critical part of the listing, however, is setting the right asking price. The median sale price for single-family homes in the Golden State in January 2025 was $838,850, according to data from the California Association of Realtors. Prices varied widely across the state, though, from $1.125 million in the San Francisco Bay Area to $400,000 in the Far North. So be sure to do your due diligence, as a Realtor would, and carefully analyze comparable home sales in your specific area. Be honest and realistic when evaluating your home’s desirability compared to others — you don’t want to leave money on the table, of course, but you also don’t want to swing for the fences and end up having to reduce the price.

Market your property

Once you have a listing, the next step is to ensure it’s visible to homebuyers. Many online platforms allow California FSBO sellers to list their home on the local MLS — that’s the listing platform agents use to see everything available for sale — for a flat fee, including Beycome, CA Flat Fee and Homecoin. Though it’s not free, this will probably get your listing seen by the widest pool of people. Some sites have packages that include marketing materials like yard signs, as well.

Additionally, you can promote your home with flyers around town and online via social media channels and sites like Craigslist. Exercise caution when sharing information online, though.

Marketing also involves opening your door to potential buyers, either through open houses or private showings. These be tricky to schedule, especially if you are still living there and have kids and/or pets. They also involve a level of risk — take precautions and make sure your home is clear of valuables when you have strangers inside. It’s probably smart to ask a friend or family member to be there with you, too.

Close the deal

Ideally, your well-crafted listing and savvy marketing work will garner an offer on your home (or maybe even a few!). Negotiations and seller concessions might be necessary to reach an agreement, and without an agent, navigating those tasks will fall to you.

The services of a real estate attorney can be invaluable to FSBO sellers, particularly when it comes to drafting the purchase contract and overseeing the closing process. A well-constructed contract is pivotal for a successful sale, and if you have no lawyer, it will fall on you to draw up the contract. There will also be a multitude of additional documents requiring your signature, as well as disclosures you must legally provide. (More on real estate attorneys below.)

Required documents and disclosures for California home sellers

When you sell with a Realtor, they know the local laws and make sure the necessary paperwork is taken care of. With a FSBO sale, that’s all your responsibility. “Seller disclosures will vary by region throughout California — for example, some counties or cities in the Bay Area have their own specific requirements for disclosure documents when selling a home,” says Nick Narodny, founder/CEO of Aalto, a San Francisco–based digital real estate platform.

California sellers must provide the homebuyer with several disclosure documents, including:

• A statewide buyer and seller advisory form, which breaks down the obligations for both parties.
• A transfer disclosure statement that answers questions and informs the buyer about a broad range of topics, including the condition of the property and any problems that have cropped up.
• A Megan’s Law disclosure, which gives access to a database of information about the area’s registered sex offenders.
• A disclosure of natural and environmental hazards, which provides information about how prone the area is to flooding, fires and earthquakes, among other things.
• A lead-based paint disclosure (for homes built before 1978).

In addition, some of the transactional paperwork required by the state of California can include:

• A closing statement, detailing all the expenses linked to the sale and who pays for what.
• A copy of the sales agreement, with any addendums or mutually agreed-upon modifications.
• A bill of sale that outlines the final home price and the items covered in the sale.
• A notarized affidavit of title.
• An executed deed, which allows the lawful transfer of property ownership.

If this all seems pretty complicated, that brings us to our next step:

Do I need a lawyer to sell a house by owner in California?

California home sellers are not required to engage a real estate attorney, regardless of whether or not a Realtor is part of the process. But for a FSBO seller, legal representation can be a very worthwhile investment.

The regulations, contracts and disclosure documents here can be quite complex, and given the financial implications — which are substantial in a state where the median sale price is more than double the national median — you don’t want to risk a mistake. Enlisting the expertise of a local helps ensure that your deal is legally sound and your interests are well protected.

Pros and cons of FSBO sales in California

Selling without a Realtor can be a good option for those who have a high level of knowledge in the process and confidence in their skills. However, it has serious disadvantages too, especially for first-timers.

Pros

• You’re in charge: When you choose the FSBO path, there’s no one else telling you what to do. You hold the reins and navigate the process according to your own preferences.
• You’ll save on commission: On a median-priced $838,850 California home, a 3 percent listing agent commission comes to more than $25,000. That’s a significant savings — but keep in mind many sellers still agree to pay the buyer’s agent’s fee. Make sure your contract clearly spells out who will pay.
• You simplify the process: Realtors usually manage multiple clients at once, meaning you might not be their sole priority in terms of returning calls, preparing paperwork and answering questions. When you handle things directly, there’s no third party to coordinate with and you’re not tied to someone else’s schedule, which can speed up your timeline.

Cons

• There’s a lot more effort involved: Choosing the right price, crafting a compelling listing, marketing to potential buyers, coordinating showings, preparing paperwork: All of these are tasks that, in the absence of a real estate agent, you will have to do yourself.
• You won’t have professional guidance: Real estate agents are licensed pros who must take classes and pass exams to be certified. They also have a thorough understanding of their local markets that non-experts are unlikely to match.
• Your pool of buyers will be smaller: Buyers usually rely on agents to help them find suitable homes, and agents actively promote properties to each other. Without such assistance, your listing might receive fewer views, and thus get fewer offers.
• You could sell for less money: In addition, according to NAR, homes sold by owners tend to fetch lower prices than those sold through agents. In 2024, it says, FSBO homes sold for about $55,000 less than the median selling price of all homes.