How to Sell a House Without a Realtor, State by State

You can sell your own house without a realtor in every US state. What changes from state to state is who must be at the closing table, what you have to disclose to the buyer and how much transfer tax goes to the state when the deed is recorded. Pick your state for the steps, the official disclosure form and a savings calculator.

General information, not legal advice. Each state page lists its official sources and the date we checked them.

Attorney required at closing: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina.

No state transfer tax: Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Wyoming.

Buyer beware (no mandatory disclosure form): Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Wyoming.

Transfer tax by state

Delaware has the highest base state rate on this list, 4% of the price. Local taxes come on top in some states; each state page has the details.

Base state rate as a percent of the sale price; some states add tiers above a price threshold or local taxes (see each state page). States without a single base rate are in the table only.

For sale by owner rules in every state

State	Transfer tax	Attorney at closing	Seller disclosure
Alabama	0.1%	Customary	No (buyer beware)
Alaska	None	No	Required
Arizona	None	No	No
Arkansas	0.33%	No	No (buyer beware)
California	0.11%	No	Required
Colorado	0.01%	No	No
Connecticut	1%	Required	Required
Delaware	4%	Required	Required
Washington, DC	1.1%	—	Required
Florida	0.7%	No	Required
Georgia	0.1%	Required	No (buyer beware)
Hawaii	0.1%	No	Required
Illinois	0.1%	Customary	Required
Indiana	None	No	Required
Iowa	0.16%	Customary	Required
Kansas	None	No	No (buyer beware)
Kentucky	0.1%	Customary	No (buyer beware)
Louisiana	None	Customary	Required
Maine	0.44%	Customary	Required
Maryland	0.5%	Customary	Required
Massachusetts	0.456%	Customary	No (buyer beware)
Michigan	0.86%	No	Required
Minnesota	0.33%	No	Required
Missouri	None	No	No (buyer beware)
Montana	None	No	Required
Nebraska	0.332%	No	Required
Nevada	0.39%	No	Required
New Hampshire	0.75%	Customary	No (buyer beware)
New Jersey	Varies	Customary	Required
New Mexico	None	No	No (buyer beware)
New York	0.4%	Customary	Required
North Carolina	0.2%	Required	Required
North Dakota	None	No	Required
Ohio	Varies	No	Required
Oklahoma	0.15%	No	Required
Oregon	None	No	Required
Pennsylvania	1%	No	Required
Rhode Island	0.75%	Customary	Required
South Carolina	0.37%	Required	Required
South Dakota	0.1%	No	Required
Texas	None	No	Required
Virginia	0.1%	Customary	Required
Washington	1.1%	No	Required
Wisconsin	0.3%	No	Required
Wyoming	None	No	No (buyer beware)

45 states. "Customary" means not required by law but usual. Transfer tax is the state rate only.

Selling by owner, wherever you are

The legal side is a few forms and one closing. The hard part is getting the right buyers through the door. Listings with clear photos, a floor plan and a 360° virtual tour get fewer curious visits and more serious ones; see an example tour.

Frequently asked questions

Can you legally sell a house without a realtor?

Yes, in every state. You can market and sell your own home; what some states require is an attorney at closing, and most require a written seller disclosure.

Which states require an attorney to sell a house?

Of the states on this page, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina require an attorney at closing. Elsewhere a title or escrow company can close.

Can for sale by owner list on MLS?

Not directly: only licensed brokers can enter MLS listings. A flat-fee MLS broker lists your home for a fixed fee, and the listing then shows on Zillow, Realtor.com and Redfin.

How much do you save selling a house without a realtor?

A typical 5–6% commission is $20,000–$24,000 on a $400,000 home. If you still pay the buyer's agent, you save about half of that.