How to sell your house in Texas without a listing agent

A listing agent in Texas usually charges 3% of your home's sale price. On a $350,000 home, that is $10,500 — just to list and sell. You can do most of that work yourself. Here is how, step by step.

Step 1 — Pick the right price

The biggest mistake sellers make is asking too much. The home sits. People stop looking at it. You end up dropping the price, and it ends up selling for less than if you priced it right the first time.

Look at three things:

• What did houses like yours sell for in the last 60 days?
• What are similar homes near you asking for right now?
• What is the price per square foot in your neighborhood?

Step 2 — Get the home ready

You do not need to remodel. You do need to:

• Clean it like your in-laws are coming. Then clean again.
• Pack up half your stuff. Less stuff = bigger-looking rooms.
• Fix the little things. Loose handles, leaky faucets, scuffed paint.
• Mow the lawn. Trim the bushes. The front yard is the first photo buyers see.

Step 3 — Take great photos

Bad photos kill listings. If you can afford it, hire a real estate photographer for $200–$400. If you cannot, use a real camera (not your phone from 2018), shoot in the morning or late afternoon, and open every blind in the house.

Buyers swipe through hundreds of listings on their phone. Your photo has one second to stop their thumb. Make it count.

Step 4 — Get on the MLS

This is the step you cannot legally do yourself. Only a licensed broker can post your home on the MLS. But you do not have to pay a 3% commission to one.

A flat-fee broker (like us) does it for $150. Your home shows up on the MLS, Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and Trulia — exactly like every traditional listing. The only difference is what you paid.

Step 5 — Handle showings

When a buyer's agent wants to show your home, they will text or call. You can handle it two ways:

• Lockbox: Put a coded lockbox on the door. Agents get the code, show the home themselves. You do not have to be there. Easiest.
• By appointment: You let people in yourself. More control, more work.

Step 6 — Get an offer and sign the contract

When an offer comes in, you have three choices: accept it, reject it, or counter (offer a different price or terms). Most negotiations come down to price, closing date, and what stays in the house.

You will sign the standard Texas (TREC) contract. A title company handles the paperwork after that — wires the money, transfers the deed, and pays everyone at closing. You just show up to sign.

Do I need a lawyer?

In Texas, no. The title company handles the legal side. If you have a tricky situation (divorce, inheritance, lots of liens), spend a couple hundred bucks on a real estate attorney for an hour. Worth it.

What you save

On that $350,000 home, the 3% listing commission would have been $10,500. You paid $150. You keep $10,350. That is the down payment on your next home. Or the new floors. Or just the money in your bank account.