With real estate agent commissions in the Atlanta metro area averaging around 5.8% in 2023–2024, a lot of people are tempted to find a less expensive alternative when selling their houses. Some choose the FSBO (for sale by owner) route, which consists of marketing, showing, and otherwise handling the sale of their own property. Others choose to work with an off-market buyer like HomeVestors^® that buys houses “as is” and can often simplify and speed up the closing process.

For certain kinds of sellers, FSBO can be the right decision. Some sellers already have an interested buyer. Other sellers have a firm understanding of how to price and market their property, and therefore do not need a real estate company’s resources and help. Still others may not have experience selling a house on the Atlanta real estate market, but they can afford to wait until their perfect offer comes along. If any of the above describes your situation, FSBO might be right for you.

If you opt to sell your house FSBO, chances are you will need to come up with a viable price and find ways to market your home. Most sellers will not have access to the MLS system that Realtors^® use, and therefore rely on approaches like yard signs and social media posts to spread the word about their property. If you sell FSBO, it will also be up to you to set up showings, negotiate over things like price and repairs, and manage the necessary paperwork at closing.

Combined with everything else that you might need to do to get your house ready to sell, such as staging and making needed repairs, FSBO can quickly become time-consuming. For many sellers, it makes more sense to hire a Realtor^® or sell with an off-market buyer.

Off-market buyers are companies that buy houses outside the traditional real estate market. These companies don’t require you to market and stage your house, and they don’t need you to fix cosmetic problems or make repairs. An off-market buyer will typically make you an offer quickly, then do their best to ensure a smooth, timely closing.

Off-market buyers can make a lot of sense for Atlanta sellers who need to close in a hurry, sellers who are facing major repairs, and sellers who are looking for ways to simplify the house-selling process.

HomeVestors^® doesn’t charge commissions and other fees, and we pay typical closing costs.^† We also buy houses “as is” and do not expect you to clean, paint, or make repairs. When you are looking for a simple and convenient process, selling with HomeVestors could be the right move.