Selling your home is one of the largest financial transactions you'll ever make. The choice between FSBO (For Sale By Owner) and full-service brokerage shapes everything: time, cost, exposure, and risk.
Full-Service Brokerage
Your listing agent handles:
- Pricing analysis (Comparative Market Analysis)
- Professional photography + staging
- MLS submission with full attribution
- Buyer screening and showing coordination
- Offer negotiation and counter-offers
- Closing coordination (escrow, title, inspection)
Cost: typically 2.5-3% listing-side commission. With our rebate model, in states where allowed, you may receive a portion back at closing.
FSBO + Activity Fee
You stay in control:
- You set the price (we provide CMA tools)
- You handle showings, negotiations
- We handle MLS submission, mandatory disclosures, and BBA-compliant offer routing
- Pay only for services you use (per-hour or per-deliverable)
Cost: significantly lower total fees, but you invest your time.
The practical tradeoff
| Factor | Full-service | FSBO |
|---|---|---|
| Time investment | Low (10-20 hours total) | High (50-100+ hours) |
| Total cost | 5-6% (both sides) | 1-2% (activity fees) |
| Pricing accuracy | Agent CMA + AVM | Self-research |
| Negotiation skill | Professional | Self |
| MLS exposure | Full | Same (we handle submission) |
Our recommendation
If you've sold before, are comfortable with negotiations, and have time — FSBO with activity fee can save tens of thousands.
If you're a first-time seller, in a complex market, or short on time — full-service usually nets you more after closing despite higher commission, due to faster sale and better negotiation.