The top 11 FSBO Marketing Wesites
To determine the best for sale by owner sites, we looked at a variety of factors including how much it costs to list your property on the site as well as what features the site has, such as easy search functionality and interior and exterior photos. We also looked at the general traffic on each site.
Although you may think that Zillow would be the top place to list and look for FSBOs since it has the widest network, we recommend that buyers and sellers first use an FSBO-specific site and then expand their reach to all other applicable sites, includingZillow. The rationale behind this is that investors who buy FSBOs often visit FSBO-specific sites since there’s less competition and they feel like they can get a better deal by negotiating directly with the homeowner. On the contrary, Zillow attracts more owner-occupant buyers who are working with their own Realtors.
We researched the best for sale by owner sites and determined the top ones by using the following criteria:
Cost to use the site
Site features
Traffic on the site
Types of properties the site lists
Areas the sites serve (we only included nationwide or mostly nationwide sites)
After compiling a list of the best for sale by owner sites, we recommend listing your property on all of them to gain the most market exposure. Since you’re saving money on real estate commissions, you might as well spend the money to list your property on every site including non-FSBO sites likeZillow. Some of the sites are free and some offer listing packages that range from $99 to more than $495, which is significantly cheaper than a 5 to 6 percent real estate commission.
By the same token, buyers of FSBOs should also leverage all available sites. The reason for this is that if sellers are trying to leverage the widest network by listing on multiple sites, you can increase your chances of finding the right FSBO for your situation. Therefore, both buyers and sellers should use an FSBO-specific site if money or time is an issue and all of the sites if not.
Top FSBO Sites
Out of the 11 sites on our list, four sites are exclusively for FSBO properties, like FSBO.com. The remaining sites on our list are used for FSBOs as well as properties listed with a Realtor, rentals, auction items and foreclosures. For example, Zillow is one of the top real estate sites that list Realtor’s listings, rentals and FSBOs.
The 11 best for sale by owner sites are:
For Sale By Owner
Price per Listing:$99 per month or $349 or $499 one-time fee (free 14-day trial)
Types of Properties:Residential including condos, townhomes and single-family properties
Monthly Site Traffic:1,780,000
For Sale By Ownerclaims that it is the leading FSBO site in the United States. It has been around since 1999 and is backed by the Tribune Publishing Company. According to the site, it saved sellers more than $70 million in real estate commissions in 2013 alone. The site is easy to use, and you can create a free account, starting the free 14-day trial once you upload your house details and photos.
After the trial ends, or if you chose to forego the trial, you can choose from one of their listing packages, which are $99 per month or one-time fees of $349 or $499. Packages include unlimited photos, yard signs and customized brochures. The $499 package also includes listing your property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and on Redfin.
For Sale by Owner is right for you if you want to list or buy a property on a site exclusively for FSBOs. You can get a feel of the site with the free 14-day trial and then pick the best package that suits your budget and needs. It’s recommended to use this site as well as others on the best for sale by owner sites list.
FSBO.com
Price per Listing:$99.95 for 12 months or $399.95 for six months
Types of Properties:Residential including single-family homes, condos and townhomes
Monthly Site Traffic:63,420
FSBO.comis a global site and has been in business for more than 20 years. Its main goal is to connect buyers and sellers of FSBOs in a cost-effective manner. There are two packages from which sellers can choose.
The first is an FSBO package which is $99.95 for 12 months and includes unlimited photos, a video and listing on the site as well as a Redfin listing. The second package is an MLS package, which lists the FSBO on the MLS, Zillow, Redfin and Realtor.com for six months for $399.95. While this is an FSBO site, the six-month package does come with a Realtor’s commission, which is set up front and is usually an additional 2 to 3 percent of the sales price, which is still less than the normal 5 to 6 percent. Yard signs are included as well.
FSBO.com is right for sellers who want to sell their FSBO on one of the most well-known dedicated FSBO sites. It’s a good idea to use this site in conjunction with the other best FSBO sites mentioned on our list and also helpful if you want them to list your property on multiple sites so you don’t have to.
Fizber
Price per Listing:Free for a basic listing and $99 to $439 for listing packages
Types of Properties:Residential including single-family homes, condos and townhomes
Monthly Site Traffic:210,430
Fizber isn’t as well-known as some of the other FSBO-specific sites but it offers customizable listing options to homeowners who want to sell their FSBOs. The site claims to save the average seller $15,000 in commissions. It also has a proprietary drive score for each property and a property tax estimator tool. Alongside its FSBO listings, Fizber also shows properties that are listed with Realtors. You can list your property for free on Fizber once you create a free account or you can select from one of their paid packages.
The packages range from $99 to $349 and are generally one-time fees that include extra photos and listings on Zillow and Redfin in addition to the Fizber listing. Some packages also include listings on the MLS and Realtor.com along with a video tour, printable brochures and an open house organizer.
Fizber is right for sellers who want a free FSBO site to list on with no trial period and who may want to upgrade their listing to a paid FSBO. It’s recommended that you use the site along with the others FSBO sites mentioned on our list.
Owners.com
Price per Listing:$79 to $495-plus for six- to 12-month packages (21-day free trial)
Types of Properties:Residential properties including single-family homes and condos
Monthly Site Traffic:384,210
Owners.com started in 1996 as an online directory for FSBOs. In 2001, it started letting sellers post their own properties directly on the site. It offers owners the options of signing up for a free account and creating a listing with a description and photos that is free for the first 21 days. However, this listing won’t appear on any other sites besides Owners.com. If you choose a premium listing package, your FSBO will also appear on Realtor.com.
They also offer packages that include six- and 12-month listings with more photos and videos. Some of these packages will be featured on other sites and the MLS and include state-specific real estate contracts, which are helpful for buyers and sellers who aren’t familiar with a real estate purchase contract or don’t know where to get one. It all just depends on how much you want to spend.
Owners.com is good for FSBO sellers who want to list their property on a site that’s specifically for FSBOs. It’s a versatile site so is good for you if you want the option of a flat-fee MLS or a specialty listing package. It should be used in combination with the other FSBO sites on the list for additional exposure.
Zillow & Trulia
Price per Listing:Free for all FSBO listings
Types of Properties:Residential with separate sections for new construction and foreclosures
Monthly Site Traffic:165,550,000
Zillow was founded in 2004 in Seattle and is among the nation’s leading real estate sites and recently acquired Trulia. However, it’s not an FSBO-specific site but you can list FSBOs on it. It offers a very detailed map so you can click on the area you’re in to locate properties, which makes it easy to use for both buyers and sellers.
To specifically search for an FSBO to buy, click on ?Buy? and then click on the ?For Sale by Owner? section. You do need to create an account to list your FSBO but it’s free and can be done in a few minutes.
Once you create an account, you sign in and begin uploading photos and putting in the description details, such as the number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms and amenities. The final listing looks highly presentable compared to some of the FSBO sites and the photos really stand out. Zillow also gives you a Zestimate for your property, which is an estimated market value using their proprietary formula.
Zillow is right for anyone who wants to sell their FSBO. Since it’s one of the most well-known real estate sites and is free, it should be used in addition to the other sites on this list.
Redfin
Price per Listing:Starts at 1 percent of sales price, and it offers buyers an average $2,000 refund
Types of Properties:Residential properties including single-family homes and condos
Monthly Site Traffic:31,970,000
Redfin was started in 2002 and is an online real estate marketplace and a brokerage for buying and selling property. This means that it has its own agents so it’s not a typical FSBO site. However, the commissions are usually much lower than what typical real estate brokerages charge. You work with a local agent to get your listing sold with commissions starting at 1 percent of the listing price, compared to average 6 percent commissions at most other brokerages.
You can enter your property address and request a free consultation and then decide if you want to list with them. Generally, no fees are due upfront and the Realtor will put your property on the MLS. They also update their site every 10 minutes so the listings are always fresh.
Redfin is right for you if you don’t want to pay the standard Realtor’s commission but still want the assistance of an agent. If you choose to use Redfin, you don’t need to use any other paid sites since the agent will market the house for you.
HomeFinder.com
Price per Listing:$39 per month per FSBO listing
Types of Properties:Residential properties with a separate section for auctions
Monthly Site Traffic:952,840
HomeFinder.com is a marketplace connecting nationwide buyers, sellers and real estate professionals. It also has an auction section and links to preferred mortgage lenders. It has been in business for 15 years but some users have noted a lack of inventory in different areas.
You do need to create an account and the cost to list your property is $39 per month, which includes one listing with a description and property photos. The listings are aesthetically pleasing and look like what you may find in a real estate magazine.
Homefinder.com is right for property owners who want an affordable and easy-to-use site to list their property on. However, it’s not as well known as some of the other sites on our list, so we recommend using this site in addition to other best for sale by owner sites, if at all.
eBay
Price per Listing:$150-plus for 30 days, $300-plus for 90 days, plus fees for listing upgrades
Types of Properties:Residential, commercial and timeshares
Monthly Site Traffic:1,260,000,000
eBay was founded in 1995 and became a success during the dot-com era. Today, it has more than 160 million shoppers but the majority of them aren’t looking for real estate deals. It’s mostly used by worldwide buyers and sellers as an auction site for everything ranging from household items to electronics to cars and furniture. However, there’s quite a large real estate marketplace with more than 1,200 listings. Listings can be auction, fixed price or classified ad style.
You need to create an account in order to sell on eBay, and you must own the real estate yourself in order to sell it on this site. Once you create and verify your account, it’s simple to set up your listing using their template, which includes things like location, number of bedrooms, property features and photos.
eBay is right for you if you want to auction off your property and want access to buyers from all around the world. Don’t worry as you can set a reserve price for your property so it won’t be sold for less than you agree to. It’s most effective when combining this site with others on the list.
Craigslist
Price per Listing:Free for all non-real estate agents and brokers
Types of Properties:Residential and commercial
Monthly Site Traffic:775,310,000
Craigslist was started in 1995 and today is the ninth-most-visited site in the entire U.S. It’s not known for being the most reputable site since there aren’t many guidelines in place to verify buyer’s and seller’s identities and if they actually own the property they’re listing.
However, it’s a very popular option for property owners who want to sell their home as an FSBO. The site sells condos, commercial properties, multifamily properties, single-family homes and even the occasional apartment building. The length of the listing is 45 days and then it needs to be renewed.
Craigslist is right for you if you want to stick to a budget and list your property for free. It should also be included even if you have a larger budget since it’s a high traffic site. You will need to vet the callers yourself and the site has some tips to avoid scams, such as dealing locally.
LoopNet
Price per Listing:Free for a basic listing; call for premium listing
Types of Properties:Commercial
Monthly Site Traffic:5,940,000
LoopNet is the largest online marketplace for commercial real estate and was founded in 1995. It receives more than 5 million visitors per month and has more than 500,000 listings. They will also list your FSBO onCoStar, which is used by more than 93 percent of the top commercial brokerages. You can upload your commercial property listing online easily by creating a free account. Then, you add the property description, location information and upload photos. If you want a premium listing, you need to contact the client service team and they will explain the pricing and benefits to you.
This site is right for you if you’re the owner of a commercial property and want to sell it yourself. Since the site is solely for commercial real estate, its visitors are specifically looking for commercial properties. This is unlike most of the other sites where visitors may be primarily interested in residential properties.
Price per Listing:Free to share your property to Facebook Marketplace
Types of Properties:All property types but mostly residential properties
Monthly Site Traffic:27,750,000,000
Facebook isn’t usually what comes to mind when you think of sites to list your for sale by owner property on but it’s the third-most-visited site in the world with more than 2 billion users per month. Of course, most of those users aren’t there to buy or sell real estate but some of them just might be there for that purpose.
You can list your FSBO on Facebook in a few different ways. First, you can upload a photo and a description and share it with your friends. This is the most popular way but doesn’t get as much traffic as the other options. Secondly, you can add your property to Facebook Marketplace, which is like a digital store similar to Craigslist, connecting you with other Facebook users interested in your property.
Lastly, and potentially the most effective way, is topurchase Facebook ads. You can advertise based on demographics, location and household income, and you can spend as little as $20 or in the tens of thousands of dollars. Since you do need a listing for this to work, you should use this strategy in conjunction with an existing listing or Facebook Marketplace.
Facebook is best for you if you want to run Facebook ads in conjunction with other listings. Facebook Marketplace is similar to Craigslist in this manner.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I List My Property on the MLS Without Using a Realtor?
You can’t list your house yourself on theMLS. However, you can either hire a Realtor or a company that charges a fee to list your property on the MLS for you. Some of these companies refer to themselves as ?flat-fee brokerages.?
Can You List Your Property for Sale on Trulia Without Using a Realtor?
Yes, you can and you will be directed to Zillow’s site since Zillow acquired Trulia. Then, you should go to the ?For Sale by Owner? section, which is free for buyers and sellers.
What is the Best Website to Sell Your House?
If you’re not using a Realtor, it’s best to list your house on as many of the best for sale by owner sites as your budget and time allow. I recommend listing on each of the sites on our list. Even by paying to list your home on multiple sites, you’re still saving money since you’re not paying a Realtor’s commission. Generally, the more exposure your property gets, the more likely it is that you will receive an offer.
Bottom Line
Selling your house as an FSBO can be a long, time-consuming process but, if accomplished, can save you thousands of dollars in real estate commissions. We recommend listing your property on as many FSBO sites as your time and budget allows. If you’re buying an investment property, we recommend checking out the properties on the best for sale by owner sites like FSBO.com first since you can usually negotiate more with an FSBO than with a property listed with a Realtor.