What It Actually Looks Like to Buy a Home Without an Agent

You know how the process works in theory. Now let's talk about what it feels like in practice—the real moments, the real conversations, and the real decisions you'll face when you're the one driving the transaction.

Because the truth is, most of the anxiety around self-represented buying isn't about the paperwork. It's about the “what ifs.” What if I say the wrong thing? What if the listing agent doesn't take me seriously? What if I miss something important?

Let's walk through how this plays out for real buyers, and address those concerns head-on.

The First Phone Call

You've found a listing you like. You pick up the phone and call the listing agent.

“Hi, my name is Sarah. I'm pre-approved through First National, and I'm interested in seeing the home at 742 Elm Street. I'm representing myself. Is there a time this week that works for a showing?”

That's the whole call. No justification. No apology. No long explanation about why you don't have an agent.

In practice, listing agents are almost always cooperative. Many actually prefer working with self-represented buyers—it simplifies the communication chain and can make closing faster. They may ask you to sign a form acknowledging that they represent the seller, not you. That's standard and fine. Just remember that their advice serves their client's interests, not yours.

Submitting the Offer (And What Happens Next)

Let's say you've seen the home, pulled comps, and decided to offer $390,000 on a property listed at $405,000.

You fill out the purchase agreement—purchase price, earnest money amount, contingencies, closing date. You attach your pre-approval letter. You email it to the listing agent with a one-paragraph note: “Please find attached my offer for 742 Elm Street. I'm pre-approved for conventional financing and am targeting a 35-day close. Happy to discuss any questions.”

A day later, the listing agent calls. The seller countered at $398,000, with a request to close in 30 days instead of 35.

You check your walkaway number ($400,000). The counter is within range. You accept the counter-offer in writing. You're now under contract.

The whole exchange took three days. No drama. No hardball tactics. Just two parties finding a number.

Navigating the Inspection

Your inspector flags a few things: the water heater is 15 years old and nearing end of life, there's a small crack in the garage foundation (cosmetic, per the inspector), and the HVAC filter hasn't been changed in what looks like a year.

You focus on what matters: the water heater. A replacement runs about $1,500. You send a repair request to the listing agent: “Based on the inspection report, we're requesting a $1,500 credit at closing to address the aging water heater. All other items are accepted as-is.”

The seller agrees. Done. You didn't ask for the moon, and the seller didn't feel nickel-and-dimed. That's how reasonable negotiations work.

The Commission Math in Action

Here's where your decision to self-represent pays off in this specific deal.

The home was listed at $405,000. The listing agent's commission was set at 2.5% to the seller's side, and the seller had initially budgeted another 2.5% for a buyer's agent commission—that's $10,125.

Because you didn't bring a buyer's agent, that $10,125 didn't need to be paid out. The seller's net proceeds improved, which gave you room to negotiate a lower price and still leave the seller in a better position than a full-commission offer.

You closed at $398,000—$7,000 below asking. But the seller still netted more than they would have from a $405,000 offer with a buyer's agent attached. Everyone came out ahead.

On a 30-year mortgage at 7%, that $7,000 reduction saves you approximately $16,770 in total payments. Add the $1,500 inspection credit, and you're looking at over $18,000 in savings compared to a traditional transaction. That's real money that stays in your pocket.

For more on how this math works, see: The Math That Most People Don't Run.

Addressing the “What Ifs”

“What if I mess something up?”

The contracts are standardized for a reason—they're designed to be completed by non-lawyers. But if you're nervous, hire a real estate attorney to review your offer before you submit it. Most charge a flat fee of $500 to $1,500 for a contract review. That's $8,500 to $9,500 less than a typical buyer-agent commission on a $400,000 home. You get actual legal protection instead of general guidance from someone who isn't licensed to practice law.

“Will agents take me seriously?”

Yes. Agents are professionals. They work with self-represented buyers regularly. Your pre-approval letter is your credibility. A clean, complete offer with financing documentation signals that you're a serious buyer. In fact, some listing agents view direct buyers favorably because it means fewer cooks in the kitchen and a potentially smoother transaction.

“Is this legal?”

Completely. Every state permits buyers to represent themselves. You have the same right to purchase property without an agent as you do to sell a car without a dealer. There is no legal requirement to hire a buyer's agent anywhere in the United States.

“What about new construction? Don't builders require agents?”

Builders don't require you to have an agent. They may have their own sales representatives who walk you through the process. In fact, some builders offer price reductions or closing cost credits to buyers who come without agents, precisely because they don't have to pay that commission.

What BAIRE Looks Like in This Process

Let's talk about this practically.

BAIRE is a platform built specifically for self-represented buyers. It's not a brokerage. It doesn't hold a real estate license. It doesn't represent you in the transaction, and it doesn't take a commission.

What it does is provide the structure, knowledge, and guidance that you'd otherwise be piecing together from Google searches, Reddit threads, and YouTube videos.

When you sign up, you walk through a brief onboarding that captures where you are in the buying process—first-time buyer or experienced, pre-approved or still shopping lenders, ready to make offers or just exploring. From there, BAIRE provides tailored guidance for your specific situation.

Need help pulling comps and understanding what a house is actually worth? BAIRE walks you through it. Unsure how to structure your offer or what contingencies to include? There's a step-by-step framework for that. Wondering how to respond to a counter-offer or negotiate an inspection credit? BAIRE draws on data synthesized from thousands of real transactions to give you grounded, tactical advice.

It's not replacing an agent. It's replacing the uncertainty that makes people think they need one.

The platform costs $995—a fraction of the $10,000 to $15,000 a buyer-agent commission would run on a typical home purchase. And it comes with a 7-day free trial, so you can explore the full system before you pay anything.

The Bigger Picture

For decades, the residential real estate industry operated on a model that kept buyers in the dark about what they were paying and who they were paying it to. The 2024 NAR settlement started to change that. But settlement rules alone don't give buyers the tools or the confidence to act on their options.

That's what's actually shifting now. Buyers are realizing that the knowledge agents have isn't proprietary—it's accessible. The processes agents manage aren't complex—they're sequential. And the value agents provide, while real, isn't always proportional to the cost.

If you're considering buying a home without an agent, you're not doing something risky. You're making a choice that more buyers are making every year. The only question is whether you have the right tools and information to do it well.

Ready to see how it works? Start your free trial at baireapp.com. Seven days, full access, no commitment.

Or start from the beginning of this series: Do You Actually Need a Buyer's Agent? → Step-by-Step Walkthrough → You're here.