Selling a Baltimore House Without a Realtor: Costs, Steps and Tradeoffs

Selling without a Realtor means you take on the listing agent’s job: setting the price, marketing the house, showing it, negotiating, and keeping the contract on track until settlement. Plenty of Baltimore owners do it, especially when they already have a buyer in mind, such as a tenant, a neighbor or a relative. This guide covers what the law requires, what it costs in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, and how to tell whether it fits your house.

Three ways to sell without a listing agent

• For sale by owner (FSBO). You market the house yourself, often with a flat-fee MLS listing, yard sign and online ads. Best for a house in good shape that a financed buyer can purchase.
• Sell to someone you already know. A tenant, neighbor or family member. There is no marketing, but you still need a written contract, the disclosures below and a title company.
• Sell directly to an investor or cash buyer. No showings or repairs, usually at a lower price. Our Baltimore page explains how a direct sale to Maryland House Pros works.

Paperwork Maryland requires from every seller

Disclosure or disclaimer statement

Real Property §10-702 requires the seller of a single-family home to give the buyer either a written property condition disclosure statement on the Maryland Real Estate Commission form or a written disclaimer statement. If the buyer doesn’t get one before signing, the buyer can cancel the contract until it is delivered or within 5 days after receiving it. A disclaimer does not excuse you from disclosing latent defects you know about.

Lead paint disclosure for pre-1978 homes

Much of Baltimore’s housing, including most rowhouses, was built before 1978. For those homes, federal rules require the seller to give the buyer the EPA lead pamphlet, disclose any known lead-based paint or hazards, hand over any lead reports, include a lead warning statement in the contract, and allow the buyer a 10-day period for a lead inspection unless the buyer waives it. Keep signed copies for three years.

A written contract and a title company

Use a complete Maryland residential sales contract, not a one-page form from the internet. A title company or settlement attorney orders the title search, gets your mortgage payoff, collects the transfer and recordation taxes, and records the deed. Many FSBO sellers pay a Maryland real estate attorney to review the contract before signing.

What it costs: a Baltimore worksheet

Here are the government charges on a $250,000 sale, using the state rate and the FY 2025-2026 local rates published by the Department of Legislative Services. The contract decides who pays each one, so negotiate it in writing.

On top of those, budget for:

• A buyer’s agent fee, if any. Many buyers work with an agent, and that agent may ask you to cover their fee. It is negotiable, and you can say no, but it can affect which buyers make offers.
• Marketing. A flat-fee MLS listing, photos and signs.
• Repairs a buyer’s lender requires. FHA and VA appraisals in particular can call for repairs before the loan closes.
• Holding costs. Mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities for every month the house is on the market.
• Attorney review of the contract, if you use one.

When FSBO works, and when it doesn’t

FSBO tends to work when:

• The house is in good condition and a buyer’s lender will finance it as-is.
• You have time for showings and a 30- to 60-day financed closing.
• You are comfortable negotiating and keeping track of contract deadlines.
• You already have a buyer.

It tends to struggle when:

• The house needs major work (roof, structure, systems) that financed buyers can’t take on. See selling a Maryland house that needs major repairs.
• There are open code violations, liens or title problems. The liens and title guide explains what has to be cleared at settlement.
• The house is occupied by tenants who won’t cooperate with showings.
• You have a fixed deadline, such as a move or a foreclosure date.

In those cases, compare a listing with an agent and a direct as-is sale. The repair-and-list vs. as-is comparison puts both through the same worksheet so you can see what you would keep.