For Sale By Owner Statistics for 2026

Selling a home without an agent is something that most real estate sellers at least consider in order to avoid commission cost and deal directly with buyers, but the data shows that only a miniscule percentage of homes are sold directly by the owner.

This, however, doesn’t mean that FSBO is not a good strategy, as it is still the preferred option in a few different scenarios. The statistics we collected below will hopefully paint a much clearer picture of this part of the market.

Key FSBO Statistics: Editor’s Choice for 2026

• Only 5% of home sales are FSBO transactions.
• In 2025, 91% of sellers used a real estate agent.
• The median FSBO sale price in 2025 was $360,000, versus $425,000 for agent-assisted sales.
• 60% of FSBO sellers already know their buyer.
• In 2025, sellers ages 79 to 99 were the most likely age group to use FSBO, at 10%.

In 2025, only 5% of home sales were For Sale By Owner.

(NAR)

The most recent data has shown us yet another historic low for FSBO home sales, dropping from the previous low of 7% the year before.

91% of sellers used a real estate agent in 2025.

(NAR)

This represented a 1% increase compared to the year before, as even with many new alternative options becoming available, most sellers still chose full representation.

In 2025, the median FSBO sale price was $360,000, compared with $425,000 for agent-assisted sales.

(Virginia Realtors)

This indicates that even avoiding commissions, most FSBO listings still earn significantly less than agent-led home sales.

46% of home sellers mistakenly believe FSBO is the most profitable way to sell.

(PR Newswire)

While the numbers indicate a completely different reality, almost half of sellers still thought that going through FSBO was the way to go for more profitability.

In 2025, 60% of FSBO sellers already knew the buyer.

(NAR)

FSBO remains a preferred strategy for sellers who already know the buyer, as these sales are much easier to negotiate with your family or friends.

In 2025, sellers ages 79 to 99 were the most likely age group to use FSBO, at 10%.

(NAR)

The oldest sellers are easily the most likely to use FSBO for real estate sales, while the youngest sellers stayed within the 4% to 6% range.

39% of all home listings saw price cuts in 2025.

(HousingWire)

When nearly four in 10 listings need a price reduction, owners trying to sell alone have far less room for pricing mistakes.

In 2025, 29% of nontraditional sellers chose FSBO.

(Clever Real Estate)

Almost a third of homeowners who did not use a traditional agent model chose FSBO last year, making it one of the more popular options in this category.

15% of nontraditional sellers use a flat-fee MLS listing.

(Clever Real Estate)

Flat-fee MLS services sit between full-service representation and the classic FSBO model, and are clearly representing a significant portion of the sales for sellers who want MLS exposure without having to pay standard listing commissions.

In 2025, Zillow found that 68% of sellers considered renting out their home before deciding to sell.

(Zillow)

Home sellers are becoming more hesitant to sell and strategic in their approach, especially when weighing multiple exit options.

72% of unrepresented sellers had regrets about their home sale in 2025.

(HousingWire)

On the other hand, 68% of those that were represented by real estate agents also had regrets about their sale.

Some 21% of sellers who try FSBO eventually hire a real estate agent.

(Clever)

The main reason for switching to full representation is due to the selling process being too stressful, as more than half of FSBO sellers felt overwhelmed or cried at some point during the process.

In December 2025, there were 47.1% more sellers than buyers in the U.S. housing market.

(Redfin)

The seller-buyer gap is the widest in more than a decade, so for those looking to sell their home without representation, the process becomes even tougher.

In November 2025, active housing inventory rose 12.6% year over year.

(Realtor.com)

The more housing inventory is available on the market, the harder it is for FSBO sellers to successfully find a buyer, as competition increases.