{"id":35477,"date":"2025-01-21T04:00:57","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T12:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=35477"},"modified":"2026-03-05T06:15:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:15:13","slug":"how-to-sell-a-house-by-owner-in-maryland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-a-house-by-owner-in-maryland\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Sell a House By Owner in Maryland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some Maryland homeowners prefer selling solo for big reasons, like skipping realtor fees<\/a> and keeping more cash. Others enjoy the hands-on approach, handling showings, negotiations, and decisions their way. For many, selling without a realtor<\/a> simplifies the experience and lets them adjust the process to their unique needs.<\/p>\n

Although For Sale By Owner<\/a> (or FSBO \u2014 pronounced fizz-bow) is a viable option, it\u2019s not a popular selling approach. Only 6% of home sales in 2023 were FSBO sales<\/a>, a historical low. Of those, many already knew the buyer of the home.<\/p>\n

In this guide to selling FSBO in Maryland, we\u2019ll cover what can be the most difficult aspects of selling by owner in the Free State, including the steps that might be harder than you think. We\u2019ll also provide a comprehensive overview of the full process to prep, market, and close on your home without the assistance of a real estate agent.<\/p>\n

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

Unsure About Selling FSBO in Maryland?<\/h3>\n

If you don\u2019t have the time or expertise to list your home FSBO, partner with a trusted, top agent in your Maryland market. We analyze over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to find you the best agent for your unique situation.<\/p>\n \n

\n Get Started<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/div><\/p>\n

How does selling by owner (FSBO) work in Maryland?<\/h2>\n

FSBO<\/a> is a method of selling your home without the involvement of a listing agent. In a FSBO scenario, the seller assumes the responsibilities that would normally fall to their agent, such as pricing the home<\/a>, marketing it to potential buyers<\/a>, arranging showings<\/a>, and negotiating<\/a> the deal.<\/p>\n

Agent commissions<\/h3>\n

For decades, the seller has been responsible for paying agent commissions<\/a>, which typically range from 5% to 6% of the home\u2019s sale price<\/a> in a traditional agent-assisted sale. This fee was split between the listing agent and the buyer\u2019s agent. Recently, however, agent commission rules<\/a> have changed following the historic NAR lawsuit settlement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Under the new commission structure, sellers are no longer required to pay their buyer\u2019s agent\u2019s fee, as buyers are expected to negotiate directly with their agents. Thus, sellers working with an agent only have to cover their listing agent\u2019s fee, which is about 2.5% to 3% of the home\u2019s sale price, depending on negotiations.<\/p>\n

But while these new rules aim to reduce fees, some sellers still feel the need to cover the buyer\u2019s agent\u2019s fees to entice more buyers or expedite a sale. Thus, if you partner with a realtor, you may be looking at paying a commission of 3% (your listing agent\u2019s fee) to 6% (your listing agent\u2019s fee and your buyer\u2019s agent\u2019s fee) of the home\u2019s sale price.<\/p>\n

Commission savings<\/h3>\n

By selling FSBO, you can eliminate the cost of the agent commissions since you won\u2019t have a listing agent. If you decide to cover the buyer\u2019s agent\u2019s fee, you\u2019ll only pay around 2.5% to 3% of the home\u2019s sale price, still saving you a good chunk of money.<\/p>\n

Buyers\u2019 agents expect compensation for the work they do to bring a buyer to a sale, such as arranging showings and helping to tee up and qualify the buyer. Plus, when a seller isn\u2019t working with an agent, the buyer\u2019s agent may end up carrying more of the weight to get the deal to the finish line.<\/p>\n

Next: <\/strong>Consult our guide on who pays closing costs<\/a> when selling a house by owner for more details.<\/em><\/p>\n

A FSBO sale does not mean that a seller won\u2019t need any professional assistance. In Maryland, sellers are not required to hire a real estate attorney<\/a>, but FSBO sales typically warrant legal and professional oversight of some kind to avoid an abundance of legal risk.<\/p>\n

Most people who sell by owner will need to hire an attorney to review and prepare key documents and make sure paperwork is filled out properly, such as the seller\u2019s disclosures<\/a>. We\u2019ll address what disclosures are required when selling a house in Maryland later in this post.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Planning to handle the home sale in the Old Line State without a realtor? Here, we provide expert tips on how to sell a house by owner in Maryland.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":145,"featured_media":52890,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[323,319],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-quick-tips","category-selling-advice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Sell a House By Owner in Maryland<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Planning to handle the home sale in the Old Line State without a realtor? 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