Selling a house without a realtor in Texas (2026 guide)

Texas is one of the more straightforward states to sell your own home in. Title companies handle closings as routine business, the state has widely used standard contract forms, and there's no state income tax to complicate your proceeds. On the median Texas sale, the 6% commission a full-service agent would take runs into the low-to-mid five figures — money you save by selling for sale by owner.

This guide covers what's specific to a FSBO sale in Texas. It's general information, not legal advice — confirm the details with a Texas title company or real-estate attorney, and see our dedicated sell by owner in Texas page for the current commission-savings figure on the state median.

The commission you save in Texas

The Texas median existing-home sale sits around the mid-$300,000s. At a typical 6% combined commission, that's roughly $20,000 in agent fees on a median home — and proportionally more on a higher-priced sale in Austin, Dallas, or the coast. Selling FSBO, you save the listing-side commission with certainty and decide separately whether to offer buyer-agent compensation. See how much you save selling FSBO for the full math.

The required Texas seller's disclosure notice

This is the piece most specific to Texas. Under the Texas Property Code, a seller of residential property is generally required to give the buyer a Seller's Disclosure Notice describing the property's known condition — systems, structural items, known defects, prior repairs, flooding history, and more. There are limited exemptions (for example, certain estate or foreclosure sales), but for a standard owner sale, expect to complete it.

Two Texas-specific points worth knowing:

• Flood history matters. Texas expanded flood-disclosure requirements after major hurricane seasons; the notice asks about prior flooding and location in a flood zone. Answer honestly and completely.
• "Unknown" is allowed where you genuinely don't know, but never use the notice to hide a known defect. Concealment is how a clean sale becomes a lawsuit.

Have a Texas real-estate attorney review your notice if you're at all unsure — it's the one document where a small mistake carries outsized risk.

The forms and paperwork

Texas has a well-established set of promulgated contract forms produced by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC). A title company or attorney can supply the appropriate purchase contract, and you'll also assemble:

• The deed and current mortgage payoff information.
• Property tax records — note Texas's property taxes run high, so buyers pay attention to the annual bill.
• HOA documents and a resale certificate, if your property is in an association.
• The Seller's Disclosure Notice described above.
• The federal lead-paint disclosure for any home built before 1978.

For the complete document rundown, see FSBO paperwork and seller disclosures.

How closing works in Texas

Texas is a title-company closing state. Once you accept an offer, you and the buyer open escrow with a title company, which runs the title search, issues title insurance, holds the earnest money, prepares the settlement statement, and disburses funds at closing. You don't perform any of this yourself — you provide documents and sign at the end.

A few Texas notes:

• Community property. Texas is a community-property state, so if you're married, your spouse generally needs to join in the conveyance even if the deed is in one name. The title company will flag this.
• No state income tax. There's no Texas state income tax on your sale proceeds, though federal capital-gains rules still apply — ask your CPA about your situation.

Walk through the full sequence in the FSBO closing process step by step.

Pricing and marketing your Texas home

Texas metros move at very different speeds — a home in a hot Austin suburb prices differently from one in a slower rural county. Build your price from recent sold comps in your specific area, not from statewide averages or asking prices. Then get on the MLS so agent-represented buyers see the home: a flat-fee MLS listing or a FSBO package handles that. See flat-fee MLS vs FSBO vs agent and how to price your home without an agent.

Where YouSellSmart helps

YouSellSmart is a package of tools for selling your own home — listing copy in proper US property prose, photo enhancement with originals preserved, a comps-based price range, and a written closing guide with a Texas disclosure reference. AI is one tool inside the system; the package does not negotiate, represent you, attend your closing, or give legal or tax advice — those stay with your Texas attorney, title company, and CPA.

See the sell by owner in Texas page for your state's savings number, or compare the packs — flat fee from $149, and never a percentage of your Texas sale.