Anyone here sold their house fast in Dallas without a realtor?
Posted by MaterialBusy4369@reddit | askdfw | View on Reddit | 32 comments
Mi sister in law is looking at selling her place pretty quickly and trying to avoid going through a realtor if possible.
I’ve seen stuff about cash buyers, FSBO, etc but not sure what actually works in Dallas specifically.
Has anyone here done this and managed to sell fast? What route did you take and anything you’d avoid?
I think she's had enough on where she is at the moment
afterthismess@reddit
Yes. We sold our home in Arlington, 29 days to the tee! Got an offer Labor Day 2025, closed on 9/30/25. It was great, didn’t have to shell the 3%-5% for the realtor’s commission. Used ListingResults.com- a FLAT fee service. We paid $1,000 and that was it. Great experience, no regrets.
**Disclosure: I have no personal affiliation or financial gain for ListingResults.com. This was my personal experience. I work in the medical field not real estate.
amirichristmas@reddit
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latinobombshell@reddit
I’m an agent. If you’re gonna try to sell your house right now, especially without an agent it’s gonna go sideways for you. The market is so crappy for sellers on the market much less for those trying to do it off market with investors.
I’m currently about to place a house on the market that has been getting constant phone calls from investors offering at least 20 to 30% below market value
Then again, nothing is almost selling these days for sellers. There’s no guarantee you’ll even sell it with an agent because the market is so tough.
MaterialBusy4369@reddit (OP)
ahh ok that’s interesting, appreciate you sharing that
so is the market really that slow right now for sellers in Dallas? like even if you list with an agent it’s still sitting?
and with those investor offers being 20–30% under, is that pretty much standard across the board or does it vary a lot depending on the property?
just trying to get a better idea of whether “selling fast” is even realistic right now or if everything’s kinda slow at the moment
Traveshamockery27@reddit
Redfin published a report recently estimating sellers outnumber buyers in Dallas about 1.8:1. It’s the best buyer’s market in over a decade.
MaterialBusy4369@reddit (OP)
oh wow didn’t realise it was that tilted right now
so does that basically mean sellers are having to drop prices more or wait longer to get any interest? makes sense why everyone’s saying it’s slow then, just trying to figure out what that actually looks like in real terms
Traveshamockery27@reddit
Yeah, basically half of the houses won't get bought. So buyers have more leverage. Great properties will still go fast, but sellers are going to freak out everywhere else because they've been acclimated to multiple bids within a week and taking their pick.
all2neat@reddit
Buyers can be very picky, take their time, negotiate a price which is the complete opposite of a few years ago where listings were getting bid up and other crazy stuff.
MaterialBusy4369@reddit (OP)
I don't know if you've heard of this company, which I've contacted ninebp I hoping they come back with something, as she is now panicking
all2neat@reddit
I’d be very careful with any of these “we buy houses” companies. Do your homework. Make sure you don’t get scammed. I personally think they prey on those that are desperate.
MaterialBusy4369@reddit (OP)
kinda what I was a bit worried about as well
definitely don’t want to rush into anything and end up getting taken advantage of, so trying to get as much info as possible first
latinobombshell@reddit
It’s super slow in DFW for sellers. And yes, even if he listed with an agent, even though every other agent will tell you they can sell it fast lol
Yes, investors are horrible to work with because they’ll put so many stipulations. If your family member doesn’t know how to read a contract they’re more than likely going to be f over with an investor.
Selling fast is really dependent on so many things, but for the majority of people right now it isn’t the case. If she’s in a very well, wanted neighborhood with a good school district in a perfect corner lot with a huge backyard in lots of great upgrades, that’s the best things she can have going for herself
MaterialBusy4369@reddit (OP)
that actually gives me a much clearer picture tbh
sounds like it’s not just a simple ‘sell fast or not’ thing, more like everything has to line up for it to happen right now
the investor part is a bit worrying tho, didn’t realise there could be that many conditions in the contracts. is that something people usually get a lawyer to look over or do most just go with it?
and yeah makes sense about the type of property too, hers is decent but probably not in that ‘perfect’ category you mentioned, so maybe expecting a super quick sale isn’t that realistic right now
latinobombshell@reddit
Yeah, honestly, you can have a lawyer look at it, but the thing is a lawyer is gonna charge you for every time. He looks at it for you, he won’t give you an explanation of whether it’s a fair market value because he’s not doing a market analysis, and then he’s also not gonna negotiate for you… So what are you paying for?
latinobombshell@reddit
When I lived in Dallas, my next-door neighbor’s house was kind of rundown. He ended up doing a for sale by owner. The investor put a stipulation that he would buy it in five years, which is so damn wild. My neighbor didn’t see it until I caught it
Mind you, my neighbor is an 82-year-old man that is more than likely going to die within those five years. And the investor would’ve got the property since my neighbor handed the deed over to him for paying his taxes
All I gotta say is you gotta be careful with these damn people that are really savvy with contracts
MaterialBusy4369@reddit (OP)
that actually gives me a much clearer picture
sounds like it’s not just a simple ‘sell fast or not’ thing, more like everything has to line up for it to happen right now
the investor part is a bit worrying tho, didn’t realise there could be that many conditions in the contracts. is that something people usually get a lawyer to look over or do most just go with it?
and yeah makes sense about the type of property too, hers is decent but probably not in that ‘perfect’ category you mentioned, so maybe expecting a super quick sale isn’t that realistic right now
TexasBaconMan@reddit
Why does she not want a realtor?
MaterialBusy4369@reddit (OP)
mostly just trying to avoid the fees and keep things a bit simpler if possible
also heard it can take a while going the usual route, so was kinda looking into quicker options first
No_Ninja_166@reddit
that’s kinda the tradeoff right there…
fast + simple usually = you give up some money max price usually = takes longer + more moving parts (and yeah, fees)
nothing wrong with wanting to avoid realtor fees, but the “quicker options” she’s looking at (cash buyers, etc) are basically pricing in that convenience on their side
i work on the marketing side for a group that buys in dallas, and most of the people we talk to are making that exact decision… speed + certainty vs trying to squeeze every dollar out of it
neither is wrong, it just depends what matters more to her right now
if she’s already feeling done with the situation, a clean/quick sale might be worth it even if it’s a bit less if she’s not in a rush, then going the traditional route usually nets more, just takes patience
Abster_dam@reddit
Note: I’m a realtor.
If she wants to sell it fast without using a realtor, she’ll need to promote it as much as possible on platforms that she can access (Zillow, realtor.com, homes.com, Facebook market place, etc). Take lots of photos with as much light as possible. Clean up the house as much as possible. Price it just under what her area is selling for.
Then, this is the biggest thing, she will have to answer her phone and let people come see the house. Tell her to ask them for proof of financing or funds before seeing the house, that will weed out the non serious buyers.
Hope this helps.
MaterialBusy4369@reddit (OP)
sounds like there’s a lot more to it than I thought if she goes the no-agent route, especially with handling showings and making sure people are actually serious
she has actually been contacted by a couple companies already one was Ninebird Properties, so just trying to figure out whether going that route makes more sense vs doing all this herself
is it usually worth even entertaining those offers, or are they generally way under compared to listing it like you mentioned?
Abster_dam@reddit
In my experience, they‘ll come in a little lower at first to get you under contract, then “do their research” and try to negotiate a much lower price during the first 3 days.
Overall things are just slower for sellers than they’ve been in the past. It depends on the state of the house, the area, price point, etc. I just listed a house in Fort Worth and we got a full price offer the next day, but I also have a condo listed in Plano that’s been sitting for 6 months.
If she wants to sell fast, she can sell it for way under value to an investor. If she wants the most money for it, she should work with an agent.
MaterialBusy4369@reddit (OP)
that whole ‘lock it in then renegotiate’ thing is kinda what I was worried about tbh. is there any way to avoid that happening or is it just part of dealing with investors?
also interesting how different it can be depending on the property, like one selling straight away and another sitting for months. makes it a bit harder to know what to expect
Abster_dam@reddit
Honestly, anyone could do that. It’s just less likely to happen with someone who wants to live in the home. But if the inspection report comes back with a bunch of large items that need to get fixed/replaced, negotiations would need to happen.
It can be difficult to know what to expect, but a good realtor will have some knowledge about the area, or could even look up the neighborhood and see how things are moving.
Successful-Actuary74@reddit
The biggest problem will be the realtor carrel refusing to show the property.
MaterialBusy4369@reddit (OP)
ahh ok that’s something I hadn’t even thought about is that pretty common if you’re not using an agent? like do other realtors actually avoid showing those properties or is it more situational?
feels like that could make things a lot harder if you’re relying on exposure to get buyers
dee_lio@reddit
It's not as easy as people would have you believe. you CAN do it with a lawyer, but if you don't know what you're doing, it's going to be a PITA, and I don't really recommend it. Also, there may be a stigma with FSBO selling, rightly or wrongly, some buyers will assume this is a penny wise / pound foolish, cheap person who DIYs stuff they shouldn't be DIYing. I don't care if it's fair, but I've heard that bias from buyers.
And, BTW, I'm a lawyer who does contracts like this.
That being said, there are a TON of lazy real estate agents who don't do squat.
There are also a ton of great agents who will add value (and deal with all the caca)
A great agent will coordinate getting you out of the house, staging the house, get you too quality photos, and will tell you what "sales repellant" things you're doing. (And there is going to be a lot of things you never thought about that are sales repellant.)
Number one sales repellent? Have the HO be in the house when a perspective buyer is looking at the place.
MeatCrack@reddit
I did it in december, got $150k more than a realtor recommended. But i was also in a very desirable part of town. Took a few weeks to find someone through word of mouth, and took 45 days to close due to the buyers lender.
MaterialBusy4369@reddit (OP)
sounds like location played a big part tho, which makes sense. did you find it was mostly just word of mouth that worked or were you posting it anywhere as well?
and yeah 45 days doesn’t sound not too bad, just trying to figure out what’s realistic timing wise right now
MeatCrack@reddit
Word of mouth 100%. No active marketing. Corner lot, 2 car garage, one block outside the line from UP, 2 blocks from Inwood Village. Kinda sold itself, and the word of mouth was amongst neighbors friends who wanted to be in the neighborhood
johnnyclash42@reddit
If she’s not willing to work w an agent and get her property listed on mls, visibility will be less and it will take longer. Doubtful that fast will be a reality. Kind of like the old adage: client wants cheap, fast, and good - service prouder says “pick two” of those three.
MaterialBusy4369@reddit (OP)
yeah that makes sense tbh, appreciate you putting it like that
i think i was kinda hoping there was a way to get all three but sounds like it’s more of a trade-off than anything. probably need to figure out what matters more, speed or getting closer to full value