Every seller in New Jersey owes the buyer a flood risk disclosure, and a one- or two-family home still needs its smoke and carbon monoxide alarm certificate before it changes hands. If no agent is involved, nobody will remind you, so put both on your list first.
Three Ways to Sell, and What Each Asks of You
People search for "selling without a realtor" for different reasons. Some want to save the commission. Some cannot face months of keeping a house spotless for showings, or have a tenant, a sick parent or a dog that makes showings impractical. Some simply want the matter finished. Which reason applies to you decides which route makes sense.
| Route | What you do | Suits you if | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| List with an agent | Prepare the house, sign a listing agreement, keep it ready for showings and open houses, negotiate after inspection | The house shows well and you want the widest pool of buyers | Commission, months of showings, and a financed buyer who can still fall through |
| Sell it yourself (by owner) | Price it, advertise, answer calls, show it, screen buyers, hire an attorney for the contract | You have time, a house that sells itself, and patience for strangers | All the showings and none of the help; deposits and disclosures are on you |
| Sell directly to a buyer like us | One walkthrough, review a written offer, sign, choose a date | Privacy and simplicity outweigh squeezing out the top price | Expect a direct offer under what a polished, well-marketed listing might fetch |
What Changed for Listings in 2024
If you are comparing costs, note that the rules around agent pay shifted nationwide. Since August 17, 2024, under practice changes from the National Association of Realtors settlement, offers of compensation to a buyer's agent can no longer appear on a multiple listing service, and agents working with buyers must have a written agreement with them before touring a home. Commissions were always negotiable, and these changes give sellers more reason to ask what they are paying for and to whom. They do not change the showing schedule.
The Obligations That Stay With You
These apply whether you list, sell by owner or sell to us. In a by-owner sale, they are entirely yours to manage.
- Flood risk disclosure. Sellers across New Jersey have owed buyers a flood disclosure since March 20, 2024, covering known flooding history and flood risk, on the seller's disclosure form.
- Lead paint, for homes built before 1978. Federal rules require you to tell the buyer about lead-based paint or lead hazards you know of before the buyer signs, hand over the EPA's lead pamphlet, and allow the buyer ten days to have the paint inspected, unless the buyer agrees in writing to a different period or waives it.
- Smoke and carbon monoxide certificate. Needed before title to a one- or two-unit house passes, now including the label for any secondary power source. On the state's portal it is $45 if requested more than ten business days ahead.
- Your town's resale inspection, where one exists. Newark, for example, requires a Certificate of Continued Compliance on every residential sale, at $400 for one or two units. Ask your municipality whether it has an equivalent.
- The realty transfer fee. The state places it on the seller, collected when the deed is recorded.
- A clean title. Settlement money clears every mortgage, home equity line and judgment before you receive the rest.
Where By-Owner Sales Tend to Trip
Selling by owner in New Jersey is perfectly legal, and some owners do it well. The weak points are predictable.
- The contract
No standard form to lean on
When an agent writes a contract for a one- to four-family home, state rules build in a three-business-day attorney review. A by-owner sale has no broker form, so have a New Jersey real estate attorney draft or review the contract before anyone signs.
- The deposit
Who holds the buyer's money
A licensed broker must put an earnest money deposit into an escrow or trust account within five business days. Without a broker, agree in the contract that an attorney or title company holds it, never you personally.
- The buyer
Proof of funds or a real pre-approval
Ask for a lender's pre-approval or a bank statement before you take the house off the market. Financing that falls apart late costs you weeks of being off the market.
- The showings
Your safety and your belongings
Showing the house yourself means letting strangers in. Have someone with you, keep valuables and medicines out of sight, and ask for identification.
What "No Showings" Means With Us
We visit one time, on a day you choose, with you or a family member there. No sign goes on the lawn, nothing is listed online, and neighbors only find out if you tell them. If there are tenants, we arrange the visit around their notice rights instead of yours.
You do not clean, paint, repair or stage. The written offer that follows lists the price, every cost and who pays it, and a settlement date you can move. After you sign, the title company handles payoffs and recording, and you can sign the deed in person or remotely with a notary.
The trade-off is plain: a direct buyer pays less than the strongest listing might. If your house is updated, in a sought-after neighborhood and easy to show, putting it on the market is likely to net you more, and we will be upfront about that.
What to Gather Before You Call
- The deed and your most recent property tax bill
- Statements for every mortgage or home equity line
- Anything you know about past flooding, water in the basement or flood insurance claims
- The year the house was built, for the lead paint question
- Leases and deposit records, if the house has tenants
Have your own attorney read any sale contract, ours included. Free legal advice for income-eligible owners is available from Legal Services of New Jersey at 1-888-576-5529.