How to Buy a House Without a Buyer's Agent: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

So you've decided to at least consider buying a home without a buyer's agent. Maybe you've run the commission math and the numbers don't sit right. Maybe you've bought before and you remember thinking, “I could have done most of this myself.” Or maybe you just want to understand how the process actually works before deciding whether to hire someone.

Whatever brought you here, this is the practical walkthrough. No theory, no debate about whether agents are worth it. Just what happens, in what order, and what you need to know at each step.

A heads up: this isn't legal advice. Every state has slightly different rules, and you should always consult a real estate attorney if you have questions about contracts, disclosures, or local requirements. What this is, though, is a clear picture of the process so you can stop guessing and start planning.

Before You Start Looking: Get Your Financing in Order

This is the step most people want to skip, and it's the one that matters most. Before you look at a single house, talk to a lender. Get pre-approved—not just pre-qualified.

Pre-qualification is a rough estimate based on what you tell the lender. Pre-approval means they've actually pulled your credit, reviewed your income and assets, and issued a letter stating what you're approved to borrow. That letter is your credential. Without it, listing agents may not take your offer seriously, and sellers will be skeptical.

Shop around. Talk to at least two or three lenders—a bank, a credit union, and a mortgage broker. Compare rates, closing costs, and loan types. This is where you'll make or lose more money than any negotiation on the purchase price. A quarter-point difference in your interest rate on a $400,000 loan is roughly $24,000 over the life of the mortgage.

While you're at it, ask your lender about buyer-agent commission dynamics. Some lenders are very comfortable working with self-represented buyers. Others may ask questions. Either way, having financing locked in makes everything else smoother.

Finding Properties and Setting Up Showings

You don't need an agent to find houses. Between Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and local MLS portals, you have access to virtually the same listings agents see. Set up alerts. Save searches. Know your target neighborhoods.

The part that feels unfamiliar is scheduling showings. Here's the thing: it's easier than you think.

Most listings have a listing agent's contact information right on the posting. You can call or email them directly and say something simple: “Hi, I'm a pre-approved buyer interested in seeing the property at 123 Oak Street. I'm self-represented. Would you be available for a showing this week?”

That's it. You don't need a speech. You don't need to justify why you don't have an agent. Listing agents are professionals. They show homes to unrepresented buyers regularly. Some will ask if you'd like to sign a guest registration form—that's normal and just for their records.

One thing to be aware of: the listing agent represents the seller, not you. They may be perfectly friendly and helpful, but their legal obligation is to their client. Don't share your maximum budget, your urgency to close, or your emotional attachment to the house. Keep those cards close.

Evaluating the Property

When you walk through a home, you're doing two things at once: deciding if you want to live there, and assessing whether it's worth what they're asking.

For the first part, trust your instincts, but also look past the staging. Check water pressure. Open closet doors. Look at the basement ceiling for stains. Turn on every faucet. These are things a buyer's agent might point out—or might not, depending on how attentive they are.

For the second part—value—you need comparable sales. Comps are recently sold homes similar to the one you're looking at in size, condition, location, and age. You can find these on Zillow (look at “recently sold”), on Redfin, or by asking your lender. Most lenders are happy to pull comps because they want you to make a smart offer—it protects their investment too.

Look at three to five comps. Note what they sold for, how long they were on the market, and whether the seller made any concessions. This is your pricing foundation. Everything you do from here—offer price, negotiation strategy, contingency terms—flows from this data.

Writing and Submitting Your Offer

This is the step that scares people most, and it's actually the most straightforward.

In almost every state, the residential purchase agreement is a standardized form. It's not a bespoke legal document drafted by attorneys in a conference room. It's a fill-in-the-blank form designed so that licensed agents—who are not lawyers—can complete it. Which means you can complete it too.

These forms are typically available through your state's real estate commission website, or through a real estate attorney if your state requires attorney involvement (a few do, like New York and Massachusetts). Your lender may also have the form, or at least know where to find it.

Here's what goes into a standard offer:

The purchase price. Your offer amount, informed by the comps you've pulled.

Earnest money. A good-faith deposit, usually 1–3% of the purchase price, held in escrow. This shows the seller you're serious. You get it back if the deal falls through under the terms of your contingencies.

Contingencies. These are your exit ramps. The most common are the inspection contingency (you can walk away or renegotiate if the inspection reveals problems), the financing contingency (you're protected if your loan falls through), and the appraisal contingency (if the home appraises below your offer, you can renegotiate or walk away). Don't waive these unless you fully understand the risk.

Closing date. When you'd like to close. Typically 30 to 45 days from acceptance, but this is negotiable.

Any special terms. Seller concessions, repair requests, personal property included in the sale, etc.

Once your offer is complete, you send it to the listing agent. Email is standard. Include your pre-approval letter. If you want to add a brief cover note explaining your offer (not a love letter—some states have actually restricted those to prevent fair housing issues), keep it factual and concise.

Negotiation: What to Expect

After you submit your offer, one of three things happens: the seller accepts, the seller rejects, or the seller counters.

Counter-offers are the most common outcome. The seller might counter on price, closing date, contingency terms, or concessions. This is normal. It's not adversarial—it's just two parties finding the middle.

Here's what helps during negotiation: knowing your walkaway number. Before you submit the offer, decide the maximum you're willing to pay and the terms you won't bend on. Write them down. When a counter comes in, compare it to your limits. If it's within range, keep talking. If it's not, you have your answer.

You'll communicate through the listing agent, and all counter-offers should be in writing. Don't negotiate by phone unless you follow up in writing immediately. You want a paper trail for everything.

One advantage of being self-represented: when you submit an offer on a $400,000 home and there's no buyer-agent commission involved, the seller's net proceeds are potentially higher. A seller who was prepared to pay out 2.5% to your agent—that's $10,000—now has that money still in the deal. Smart sellers (and smart listing agents) recognize that your offer carries less cost, even if the sticker price is the same as a competing offer with an agent attached. That's your built-in negotiating advantage, and it's real.

Under Contract: Inspections, Appraisal, and Due Diligence

Once both parties sign the purchase agreement, you're under contract. Now the clock starts on your contingency periods.

Home Inspection

Hire a licensed home inspector. This is not optional—even if you're handy. A professional inspection costs $300 to $600 depending on the size and location of the home, and it's worth every penny.

The inspector will go through the home systematically: roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, structure, grading, and more. You'll get a detailed report, usually within 24 to 48 hours.

If the report reveals issues, you have options. You can ask the seller to make repairs. You can ask for a credit at closing to cover repair costs. You can renegotiate the price. Or, if the issues are serious enough, you can exercise your inspection contingency and walk away with your earnest money.

The key here is proportionality. A dripping faucet isn't a reason to renegotiate the entire deal. A failing foundation is. Focus on structural, safety, and high-cost items. Save the small stuff for after you move in.

Appraisal

Your lender will order an appraisal to confirm the home is worth what you're paying. You don't choose the appraiser—the lender does. The appraisal fee (usually $400 to $700) is part of your closing costs.

If the appraisal comes in at or above your offer price, you're good. If it comes in below, you have a few options: renegotiate the price down to the appraised value, pay the difference out of pocket, or (if you have an appraisal contingency) walk away.

Title Search and Insurance

Your lender will also require a title search to confirm the seller actually owns the property free and clear—no liens, no disputes, no surprises. You'll purchase title insurance, which protects you (and the lender) if any title issues surface after closing. A title company or real estate attorney typically handles this.

The Closing Process

Closing is the final step. You'll receive a Closing Disclosure from your lender at least three business days before the closing date. This document spells out every cost: loan terms, interest rate, monthly payment, closing costs, taxes, and insurance.

Review it carefully. Compare it to the Loan Estimate you received when you applied. If anything looks wrong, call your lender immediately.

At closing, you'll sign a stack of documents—the mortgage note, the deed of trust, settlement statements, and various disclosures. In some states, a real estate attorney handles the closing. In others, a title company does. Either way, you'll have a professional guiding the signing process.

You'll bring a cashier's check or wire the funds for your down payment and closing costs. The title company records the deed. And then the house is yours.

What You Need to Be Prepared For

Buying without an agent isn't harder, but it requires you to be more organized. Here's what that means in practice.

You need to track your own deadlines. Inspection periods, financing contingency dates, and closing dates are all spelled out in your contract. Missing one can cost you your earnest money—or worse, the deal.

You need to communicate clearly and professionally with the listing agent. You're not adversaries. You're both trying to close a deal. Be responsive, be direct, and don't overexplain.

You need to ask for help when you need it. A real estate attorney can review your contract for a flat fee (usually $500 to $1,500, depending on the market). That's a fraction of what a buyer-agent commission would cost, and it gives you actual legal protection, which an agent can't provide.

And you need a system. Not just a vague plan, but a structured process that tells you what to do, when to do it, and what to watch out for at each step. This is where a lot of self-represented buyers struggle—not because they can't do the work, but because they don't have a framework to follow.

That's actually why tools like BAIRE exist. BAIRE isn't a brokerage and it's not an agent replacement. It's a guided system—built on real transaction data and the collective knowledge of thousands of real estate professionals—that walks you through each phase of the purchase process. Think of it as the structure and the knowledge base, without the commission.

Whether you use a platform like that or build your own checklist from scratch, the principle is the same: have a system, follow the system, and don't wing it.

At this point, you understand the process. You know the steps, the risks, and the preparation required. But what does this actually look like in practice—from the first conversation with a listing agent to the moment you get your keys? That's what we cover next in What It Actually Looks Like to Buy a Home Without an Agent.

Or go back to the beginning: Do You Actually Need a Buyer's Agent?