Selling a Home in Virginia Beach › Selling by owner
Selling your Virginia Beach home yourself? Start with the numbers.
You can sell without a listing agent. The real question is whether handling the pricing, marketing, showings, negotiations, and paperwork yourself makes financial sense for you. Here is an honest look at what you are taking on, the Virginia disclosures, buyer-agent compensation and what you actually keep at closing.
Local guidance for Virginia Beach sellers. Straight answers, no pressure to list.
The short answer
Yes, you can sell your own home. A by-owner sale shifts to you the pricing, marketing, showings, negotiation, disclosures and coordination that an agent usually handles. Most of the risk sits in four places: the price, the paperwork, the buyer’s financing and the contract. This guide covers each, and you can use it whether you go ahead on your own or decide you want help.
The money
What does selling by owner actually save?
Selling on your own doesn’t automatically mean you keep the full listing agent’s commission. Your savings depend on what you sell for, what you agree to pay toward the buyer’s agent or other concessions, and what you spend on marketing, professional help, repairs, and closing costs.
For context, NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers reported for-sale-by-owner sales at about 5% of transactions, a record low, with 91% of sellers using an agent.
| Financial consideration | Selling by owner | With a listing agent |
|---|---|---|
| Listing-agent compensation | No listing-agent fee if you sell without one | Negotiated under the listing agreement |
| Buyer-agent compensation | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| Marketing and listing | Arranged and paid for by you | Depends on your agreement |
| Contract and closing help | May mean hiring an attorney or other professionals | Agent help varies, and attorney or settlement costs may still apply |
| Your time | You handle most of the process | Shared according to your agreement |
| What you keep | Depends on the whole transaction | Depends on the whole transaction |
The better comparison isn’t just the fee you avoid. It’s what you keep after the sale price, negotiated compensation, concessions, selling expenses and closing costs.
What you take on
Who handles what.
Selling yourself can save the cost of a listing agent’s fee, but you take on the tasks that fee covers. Here is how the work divides.
| Task | Selling by owner | With a listing agent |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | You research recent sales and set the price. Assessed value is not market value. | Your agent prepares a comparative market analysis and recommends a price. |
| Marketing and MLS | You arrange photos, descriptions and listing sites. MLS listing exposure requires participation in the applicable MLS, subject to its eligibility requirements and rules. | Photos, MLS entry and marketing are part of the listing. |
| Showings and offers | You schedule and attend showings, screen buyers and review offers. | Your agent coordinates showings and vets and presents offers. |
| Negotiation | You negotiate price, repairs, credits and dates directly, often with a buyer’s agent. | Your agent negotiates and advises on each term. |
| Disclosures and contract | You deliver the required disclosures and have the contract prepared or reviewed, often by an attorney. | Your agent uses standard forms and explains your duties. |
| Inspection, appraisal, closing | You track deadlines, repair requests, lender requirements and closing with your attorney or title company. | Your agent coordinates the schedule with the other parties. |
The right choice depends on your time, your comfort with contracts and negotiation, and what the help costs you.
The paperwork
Disclosures and the contract.
Virginia disclosure statement
Virginia’s Residential Property Disclosure Act (Va. Code § 55.1-701) covers sales of one- to four-unit homes whether or not a broker is involved. Some transfers are exempt (§ 55.1-702), so what applies depends on the type of transaction. The Real Estate Board publishes the disclosure statement, which is mostly a disclaimer: for each item it lists, including special flood hazard areas, aircraft noise and military ground installations, the owner makes no representations and the buyer is advised to do their own due diligence. The owner notifies the buyer using the Board’s Seller and Purchaser Acknowledgement Form, which both sign. A few items are disclosed separately in writing. An owner with actual knowledge must disclose a qualifying pending building-code enforcement action and certain unresolved zoning violations (§ 55.1-706), and known repetitive flood loss (Va. Code § 55.1-708.2). The military air installation disclosure below is its own form. If the buyer has an agent, which is usual, the acknowledgement is typically handled with the offer paperwork, but confirm it was signed and is in your file. Disclosures are generally due before the contract is ratified (§ 55.1-709). If they arrive late, the buyer’s remedy is a limited right to terminate, generally ending 3 days after in-person or electronic delivery or 5 days after mailing, and sooner at settlement, occupancy, or certain mortgage-application or written-waiver events. The buyer must give written notice by a permitted method. The right applies only when disclosures arrive after ratification, and it ends quickly.
Lead-based paint (pre-1978)
For most homes built before 1978, federal rules require that, before the buyer is obligated under the contract, you give the buyer the EPA lead pamphlet, disclose what you know about lead-based paint and hazards, and provide any records and reports you have (40 C.F.R. § 745.107(a)). The contract must include the Lead Warning Statement (§ 745.113(a)). Unless the parties agree otherwise in writing or the buyer waives it in writing, the buyer also gets a 10-day opportunity to inspect (§ 745.110(a)–(b)). Keep signed copies for three years (§ 745.113(c)(1)).
Contract and closing
A purchase contract is a legal document, and a gap in it can be expensive. Many by-owner sellers have a real estate attorney draft or review it. Your title company or settlement attorney handles the closing, so choose one early and ask what they need from you.
Near NAS Oceana or another airfield? For residential property in a locality with a military air installation, the seller must disclose whether the property is in a designated aircraft noise zone or accident potential zone, and identify the specific zone shown on the City’s official zoning map, using the disclosure form provided by the Virginia Real Estate Board (Va. Code § 55.1-704). The requirement depends on whether the property lies within a designated zone, not merely on whether it is near NAS Oceana or hears jet noise. Separately, the Board’s general disclosure statement says the owner makes no representations about aircraft noise from public use airports or about proximity to military ground installations, and buyers here often ask. Find out whether your address is in a zone before you list, ask your attorney or title company if you are unsure, and answer buyers’ questions plainly.
Official sources: Virginia DPOR residential property disclosures, the Board’s disclosure forms (use the current versions), Code of Virginia, Residential Property Disclosure Act and EPA lead disclosure rule. General information, not legal advice. Ask an attorney how the rules apply to your sale. For flood information, see the flood zone guide.
Buyer agents
Should you offer to pay the buyer’s agent?
Since August 17, 2024, offers of compensation to buyer agents can no longer be made on an MLS. Sellers can still offer compensation to a buyer’s agent outside the MLS. Compensation and concessions are not the same thing: compensation pays the buyer’s agent, while a concession is help with the buyer’s own costs, such as closing costs, and concessions can still be offered on the MLS. Agents who use an MLS must also sign a written agreement with their buyer before touring a home, and that agreement states what the buyer is obligated to pay their agent.
What that means for you. You are not required to pay a buyer’s agent, but many buyers use one, and some will ask you to cover part or all of the fee. Decide your position before you list. Many by-owner sellers who offer compensation build it into the asking price, which makes pricing and the appraisal matter even more (see below). Think about how your position affects the buyers who will consider your home, and have an attorney review how the contract words any compensation or concession.
Source: NAR, what the settlement means for buyers and sellers. Practices and rules change, so confirm the current rules.
Buyers and financing
Offers are more than a price.
Look at the buyer’s financing, deposit, inspection and appraisal terms, closing date and any credits requested, not only the number on top. A pre-approval letter and proof of funds help, but they are not a guarantee.
Price and the appraisal. If the buyer is financing, the home still has to appraise at or above the contract price. A price pushed above what recent sales support, including one that builds in agent compensation, can come back at the appraisal as a renegotiation, a request for a credit, extra cash from the buyer or a lost sale.
VA and FHA loans. Many Hampton Roads buyers use VA financing. A VA or FHA loan adds an appraisal and property standards, so a home in good repair and priced from recent sales is in the best position. How VA appraisals, repairs and seller credits work →
Pricing. Price from recent sales of similar homes, not from the assessed value. The home value guide explains the difference.
If you go ahead
A by-owner checklist.
Check items off as you go. Your checks stay on this device.
Go deeper
More on pricing, costs and proceeds.
Related guides: home value and assessments • closing costs and proceeds • flood zones • selling on PCS orders
Questions
Selling by owner: common questions.
Can I sell my Virginia Beach home without an agent?
Yes. Owners can sell their own home. What changes is that you take on the work an agent normally handles: pricing, marketing, showings, negotiation, disclosures, the contract and coordinating the inspection, appraisal and closing. A real estate attorney or your title company can help with the legal and closing side.
Do I have to give the buyer a disclosure statement?
In Virginia, the Residential Property Disclosure Act covers sales of one- to four-unit residential property whether or not a broker is involved. The Real Estate Board publishes the disclosure statement, which is mostly a disclaimer, and the owner notifies the buyer using the Board’s Seller and Purchaser Acknowledgement Form. Some items are disclosed separately in writing, such as whether the home is in a noise zone or accident potential zone shown on the city’s zoning map (Va. Code § 55.1-704), and other written disclosures can apply, such as known pending building or zoning violations and known repetitive flood loss (Va. Code § 55.1-708.2). It should be delivered before the contract is ratified, and if it comes later, the buyer’s remedy is generally a short window to terminate (Va. Code § 55.1-709). Ask an attorney or your title company how the rules apply to your sale.
Do I have to pay the buyer’s agent?
No rule makes you pay. Since August 17, 2024, offers of compensation to buyer agents can no longer be made on an MLS, but sellers can still offer compensation outside the MLS or agree to help with a buyer’s closing costs. Buyers who use an agent sign a written agreement with that agent, and some then ask the seller to cover part of the fee. Decide your position before you list, and have your attorney review how the contract words it.
Can I put my home on the MLS?
MLS listing exposure requires participation in the applicable MLS, subject to its eligibility requirements and rules. Some brokers offer limited-service or flat-fee MLS listings. Ask exactly what is included, because the services and the broker’s role vary.
Will VA or FHA buyers buy a by-owner home?
They can. The loan adds an appraisal and property standards, so a home in good repair and priced from recent sales is in the best position. Many Hampton Roads buyers use VA loans. See the military seller guide for how the appraisal and seller credits work.
What if my by-owner sale is not working?
A home that sits unsold is usually telling you something about price, condition, exposure or terms. Look at recent sales and activity around you, and ask for a second opinion if you want one. If you hire an agent, check any terms from earlier listings or agreements first.
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Last reviewed October 16, 2026. Disclosure rules, compensation practices and lending standards change, so confirm current details with an attorney, your title company and the buyer’s lender.
Your plan
Selling on your own or with help, start with your numbers.
Whether you are pricing a by-owner sale, comparing it with listing, or just want a second opinion on your paperwork plan, we can start with the recent sales around your home. No obligation, and no pressure.
350+ homes sold • REALTOR® since 2001 • RE/MAX Allegiance
Prefer to pick a time? Book a call with Liz.
Ready when you are.
Pick a time that works for you, and we will start with your home and the recent sales around it.