{"id":32346,"date":"2025-01-22T04:00:43","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T12:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=32346"},"modified":"2026-03-26T19:43:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T02:43:05","slug":"buyer-buying-a-home-without-a-realtor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-buying-a-home-without-a-realtor\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Buy a House without a Real Estate Agent, Just Like a Professional"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve decided it\u2019s time to buy a house<\/a>! One of the first steps is to pick a real estate agent<\/a> to work with. But what if you decide that you don\u2019t want to work with a buyer\u2019s agent to buy your home? How do you go about buying a home without a Realtor?<\/p>\n

Chances are, if you\u2019ve decided that buying a home without an agent is the best choice for you \u2014 and you\u2019re reading this \u2014 you need some guidance on how to go about the process on your own.<\/p>\n

Well, welcome to your step-by-step guide to buying a home without a real estate agent. We\u2019re going to walk you through all of the steps you\u2019ll need to take to act as your own agent \u2014 from finding a home, to submitting an offer, to signing the final paperwork.<\/p>\n

To really understand what it takes to buy a home without the help of an agent, we talked to Geno D\u2019Angelo<\/a>, a top agent in Petoskey, Michigan<\/a>, who shared his insights on striking out on your own. And to cover all our bases, we asked James Rhyne, a real estate attorney in Charleston, South Carolina<\/a>, for his legal perspective.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to walk you through everything you need to know to buy a home without a real estate agent.<\/p>\n

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\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Find a Buyer's Agent To Navigate the Homebuying Process<\/h3>\n

Buying a home is a challenging endeavor, make it easier by partnering with an expert buyer’s agent.<\/p>\n \n

\n Find a Buyer's Agent<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/div><\/p>\n

1. Find a lender you can trust<\/h2>\n

Finding a lender<\/a> that is trustworthy and easy to work with is the first step in the home buying process. Your lender will tell you how much you could be preapproved to borrow based on your credit score<\/a>, income, liabilities, and assets.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to shop around with a few different lenders and find the lender that offers the best rates and terms \u2014 with the lowest fees. Without a real estate agent, you will need to rely on your own research and reach out to your network for recommendations. Pay attention to online reviews to make sure your potential lender is trustworthy and that former clients have positive things to say about them.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve zeroed in on a few different lenders, apply for preapproval or prequalification<\/a> with each and compare the loans they are offering to see what works best for your situation.<\/p>\n

You can check to see how much you could qualify<\/a> for in just a few minutes with a mortgage loan calculator, but it will take some time to gather all of your information and submit it to a lender when you\u2019re getting a preapproval or underwritten preapproval. Luckily, preapproval can take as little as one business day<\/a> after you\u2019ve submitted your completed application.

<\/div><\/p>\n

2. Research your ideal neighborhoods<\/h2>\n

After you\u2019ve gotten your preapproval letter<\/a> and know how much you could qualify for, it\u2019s time to start doing your research and shopping around.<\/p>\n

As you research neighborhoods in your area, pay attention to local amenities such as parks, access to walking trails, neighborhood schools, walkability, restaurants, coffee shops, libraries, and more to determine if you will have all you need to thrive there.<\/p>\n

You can do a lot of this research online, and websites like Great Schools<\/a>, Area Vibes<\/a>, and local websites and guides are a great place to start. However, because you don\u2019t have an agent who can answer specific questions about the neighborhood, it\u2019s important to get to know the area and check it out for yourself.

<\/div><\/p>\n

3. Find a home<\/h2>\n

When you find a neighborhood you love, the next step is finding a home that\u2019s for sale and in your price range. You can set up search parameters on real estate platforms<\/a> and spend hours combing through photos and property descriptions, but you can also get more proactive.<\/p>\n

Spend some time in the neighborhood where you want to live, make friends at a coffee shop or favorite local restaurant, discuss your home search, attend open houses, and even send letters to homeowners asking if they\u2019re willing to sell.<\/p>\n

Oftentimes, especially in a seller\u2019s market<\/a>, finding a home<\/a> takes more than setting up notifications on your favorite real estate app. Agents have a network that they can tap into to find off-market properties or pocket listings<\/a>, and they use these connections to best serve their clients.<\/p>\n

You can take a page from their book and leverage your network as well. Tell everyone \u2014 literally everyone \u2014 that you\u2019re searching for a home. You never know who may have a friend of a friend of an aunt whose cousin is looking to sell their home.<\/p>\n

While you\u2019re searching for the perfect neighborhood and ideal home, you can get working on the next step!

<\/div><\/p>\n

4. Hire a real estate attorney<\/h2>\n

Some states<\/a> require that a real estate attorney be involved in every home closing, while other states allow real estate agents and title companies to handle it. South Carolina, where Rhyne practices, is one of the states that requires a real estate attorney to conduct real estate closings in person. \u201cYou cannot conduct a real estate closing legally in South Carolina without an attorney being involved pretty heavily,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Regardless of whether or not your state requires it, if you\u2019re not working with an agent, hiring a real estate attorney<\/a> will almost always be in your best interest. A real estate attorney can advise you on the legal aspects of buying a home and review contracts for you.<\/p>\n

An attorney, however, will not be involved in negotiations with the seller. Rhyne points out that he only sees transactions from the legal perspective, \u201cI don\u2019t know how agents are drafting contracts and how those negotiations<\/a> are playing out. All I see is the end result when the contract hits my desk.\u201d

<\/div><\/p>\n

5. Request disclosures from the seller<\/h2>\n

When you find a home that you want to tour, you\u2019ll request disclosures from the seller. A seller\u2019s disclosure<\/a> is a list of issues with the home (foundation problems, electrical issues, and so on), remodeling that was completed and the year it was done, and any repairs that have been made.<\/p>\n

Basically, anything that a homeowner is aware of that is wrong with the home should be listed on the disclosure. But required disclosures vary from state to state<\/a>, so you\u2019ll have to do some research or talk with your attorney about what disclosures you should request from the seller or their agent.<\/p>\n

Knowing exactly what is wrong with the house will help you in crafting your offer and negotiating any repairs to be made before closing. If you decide that you are not willing to proceed with the sale because of the scope of the problems, then this will be your first chance to walk away.<\/p>\n

Depending on your state, the state of the property, or the date the property was built, you may want to request additional disclosures, such as a Lead-Based Paint Disclosure<\/a> for older homes. Sellers are legally required to inform buyers of any known lead-based paint in a home and its location.

<\/div><\/p>\n

6. Tour the homes you are considering<\/h2>\n

This is where things start to get serious. After you find a home that you love in a neighborhood that meets your criteria, it\u2019s time to set up a home tour. You can connect with the seller\u2019s agent (or the seller if it\u2019s a for sale by owner <\/a>home) to schedule a time to tour the home.<\/p>\n

Some agents can schedule a tour over the phone, and others may want to use a scheduling app, so it\u2019s best to contact them first to see which they prefer.<\/p>\n

The National Association of Realtors\u00ae (NAR) found that in 2024, buyers typically viewed 7 homes<\/a> and viewed 2 of those homes online only. Scheduling home tours can be difficult as you\u2019re working around the seller\u2019s and agent\u2019s schedules, as well as your own.<\/p>\n

For the tour, you should bring a checklist<\/a> that encompasses all of the things that you need to pay attention to once you enter the home, such as bedroom count, storage space, and the size of the kitchen. It\u2019s easy to get into a house and get swept up in it\u2019s amazing features or bogged down with the issues that need to be fixed.<\/p>\n

A checklist will keep you focused on the attributes that really matter and will help you remember what you liked and what you didn\u2019t when you think back on the house later \u2014 you\u2019d be surprised by how much the houses blend together. Take notes or pictures, if you can, so you can keep track of each home you tour.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re here to walk you through the step-by-step process of buying a home without a Realtor\u00ae, and some reasons why you might reconsider and hire an agent. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":241,"featured_media":52989,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192,646,702],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-buyers","category-making-offers","category-offers-negotiations"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYour Ultimate Guide to Buying a Home without a Realtor<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We\u2019re here to walk you through the step-by-step process of buying a home without a Realtor, and some reasons why you might reconsider.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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