Can I buy a house without a real estate agent?

Yes, you can absolutely buy a house without hiring your own real estate agent. Since you've already found the property on Zillow and attended the open house, your next step is to contact the listing agent and let them know you're interested in submitting an offer. They can explain the seller's offer-submission process, but remember that the listing agent represents the seller unless a different agency relationship is formally established. Before making an offer, review comparable sales, decide on your price and contingencies, and make sure you understand the inspection, appraisal, financing, and closing process. In California, you can also hire a real estate attorney to review the paperwork or negotiate specific terms without hiring a buyer's agent. You may save on a separate agent's fee, but don't assume that automatically means you'll get a lower purchase price. The important thing is making sure your interests are protected throughout the transaction.

Julia, yes, you can. But the answer to this question changed on August 17, 2024, and every answer above mine was written before that. So read those with that in mind. Two things are different now. First, offers of compensation to a buyer's agent are no longer published through the MLS. That means the old assumption, that the seller pays the buyer's agent automatically and it costs you nothing, is not a given anymore. It is a negotiated term, sometimes paid by the seller, sometimes by the buyer, sometimes split. Second, an agent who works with you now has to have a written agreement with you before touring a home, and that agreement has to say in plain terms what they get paid and how. That is not a trap, it is a disclosure requirement, and it is negotiable. You can negotiate the length, the scope, and the compensation. You can sign a one-property, two-week agreement if that is all you want. Nobody has to sign a six-month exclusive. Now, to your actual situation. You found a house, you have seen it, you like it, you want to write. The thing to understand before you call the listing agent: that agent works for the seller. Not in a sinister way, in a legal way. They owe the seller loyalty, confidentiality and their best efforts to get the highest price on the best terms. If you tell them what you would really pay, they can and should tell the seller. That is their job. Any advice they give you about price is advice from the other side of the table. In some states that agent can represent both of you, called dual agency, with written consent. In others it is prohibited. Confirm how Idaho handles it and get the disclosure in writing before you tell anyone anything about your position. If you go unrepresented anyway, here is what you are taking on yourself: Value. You need to know what the house is actually worth, not what it is listed at. Without MLS access to closed comparable sales, that is genuinely hard. Contract terms. Price is the easy part. Contingencies, timelines, who pays what, what happens if the appraisal comes in low, what remedies you have if the inspection finds something. Those are where deals are won and lost. Deadlines. Contracts run on dates, and missing one can cost you your earnest money. Vendors. Inspector, appraiser, title, lender, and knowing which inspector actually looks at the crawl space. Two practical paths that are better than winging it. Hire a real estate attorney for a flat fee to review and advise on the contract. In Idaho you are not required to, but a few hundred dollars for someone whose only interest is yours is the cheapest protection available. Or interview a buyer's agent and negotiate the agreement to fit this one transaction. Since compensation is now openly negotiated, ask what they charge, ask whether they will seek it from the seller, and ask what happens if the seller will not pay it. Get all three answers in writing. A good agent will answer directly. And here is the question to ask the listing agent, today, before anything else: is the seller offering to compensate a buyer's agent, and if so how much. If the answer is yes, then going unrepresented does not save you a dollar. It just means the listing agent may keep both sides of a fee that was already budgeted. That is the single most useful thing to know before you decide. I am a real estate professional, not an attorney, and I am not licensed in Idaho, so confirm the agency rules there with a local licensee or attorney. My name is Zoltan Peresztegi and I work in Los Angeles, the South Bay and on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. If you want an introduction to a good buyer's agent in the Magic Valley who will negotiate a short-term agreement rather than a long exclusive, message me and I will find you one. Zoltan

Julia, yes, you can; but I would strongly advise against it as real estate agents are trained to assist in your transaction and navigate things you do not know how to handle. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Real Estate Operations in ALL 50 States

That's so exciting — finding a home you love is a great feeling, and we want to help you get it! Before you reach out to the listing agent directly, there's something really important to understand that could save you thousands of dollars. The agent on that Zillow listing represents the SELLER, not you. Their legal obligation is to get the best possible price and terms for their client, which is the person selling the home. If you call them directly to write your offer, you are essentially walking into a negotiation without anyone in your corner. Here's what having someone like myself (Denise Abmont with Abmont Realty Group) on your side costs you: nothing. As a buyer, our representation is crucial for you to get the best price and it doesn't stop there, inspection negotiations. * Someone whose sole job is to protect YOUR interests * A full market analysis and expert opinion so you don't overpay * Knowledge of what to ask for; inspections, closing costs, repairs, concessions * An expert negotiator fighting for the best price and terms FOR YOU * Guidance through every step so nothing falls through the cracks The listing agent is not your enemy, but they are not your advocate either. Let us be that for you. Our fees can be negotiated with the offer.

You can legally purchase a home solo, but you must hire a real estate attorney to manage the legal contracts and escrow deadlines. Without an agent, you lose the "buffer" in negotiations and access to off-market data, so ensure you have a professional title search performed to avoid inheriting the seller's old debts or liens.

Hi! You could...but the likelihood is you will still be working with an agent . It will be the agent that represents the seller. I generally suggest having someone in your corner to help with your purchase negotiations, repair negotiation, walk you through disclosures, and assist with the entire process. You may have a lot of questions as it can be a daunting process. Having your own fiduciary will be helpful

You technically can but I would advise against it. A Realtor with experience has seen a lot of different scenarios that occur during a real estate transaction, and that experience will help guide you through any bumps in the road (like during inspection or the appraisal period).

Hi Julia, you may already be under contract when you see this. Congrats if you are! Yes by all means, a real estate agent will help you in giving you information you may not have considered and usually also making the process to closing smoother. As you know what you want, you may be overlooking somethings or be willing to waive some things that a real estate agent may help you evaluate how that affects your current and future value. If you decide to do it on your own, just remember to do as much diligence as possible, once the property is closed, there is no going back.

Yes, you can. You would have to sign a disclosure saying you are unrepresented. Might not be the best idea to be unrepresented, especially if you do not have experience.