How to Sell a House By Owner in Nebraska: Your NE FSBO Guide

Why sell a house by owner in Nebraska?

To get a firsthand perspective on selling homes in Nebraska, we spoke with Tyler Bundy in Omaha, Nebraska, who works with over 70% more single-family homes than the average Omaha real estate agent.

Reflecting on the Nebraska FSBO sellers he encounters, Bundy says, “Usually, it’s about saving money — I’d say 95 percent of the time. The other five percent feel that they can do it themselves.”

However, 2023 data from NAR shows that FSBO homes sold at a median price of $380,000, significantly lower than the median of agent-assisted homes at $435,000.

As you can see, FSBO is a mixed bag. So, before we share our selling tips, let’s lay out some pros and cons to help you decide if this is the route for you.

Pros of selling a house by owner

• Ability to save on listing agent commission fees, usually around 3% of the sale price.
• You’re completely in charge and can manage the sale as you please.
• No “go-between” in your communications with buyers.

Cons of selling a house by owner

• FSBO listings tend to sell for less, statistically speaking.
• Unless the seller already has a buyer lined up, FSBO listings can take longer to sell. For example, according to Bundy, FSBO homes in Omaha are not in an easy seller’s market and can be subject to the forces of a transitional and downturning market.
• Managing all communications and negotiations yourself is time-consuming. Not having a communication buffer can be a downside if the buyer pushes back or says negative things about your property.
• You’ll be negotiating without help from an expert, which could mean leaving money on the table. For instance, Bundy says sellers don’t have the experience to negotiate in this dynamic market and may struggle to get the most out of the transaction.
• Setting the listing price is challenging — you may be tempted to go too high. You could also risk under-selling with a low price.
• Marketing your home is time-consuming.
• You’ll still have selling costs, which may include transfer taxes and settlement fees. Not having agent representation could also lead to paying more in seller concessions.
• Without the help of an agent to guide you through the disclosure process, you may put yourself at legal risk to be held liable for potential future problems with your home.

In spite of the cons, we’ll help you navigate the challenges of FSBO if you’re committed to selling your Nebraska house without agent assistance. For some, selling a home FSBO is a challenge worth accepting, and success can be measured in more ways than one.

Steps to sell a house by owner

Next, let’s review the FSBO process step by step.

1. Prepare your house for sale

Whether you’re selling with an agent or FSBO, at a minimum you’ll want to get your Nebraska home into respectable shape before any showings to increase your chances of receiving a fair price. Here are a few standard tasks to add to the list.

Indoors

These efforts will go a long way toward impressing buyers looking for a home in Nebraska:

Bundy explains, “The biggest thing is decluttering. What most people really should focus on is decluttering. If something doesn’t belong, remove it. If it feels like there’s too much stuff taking up space, remove it. Making the home a blank space is by far the biggest thing homeowners can do.”

Outdoors

Some important curb appeal upgrades can include:

Bundy notes, “60% of homebuyers will buy the house emotionally before they even walk in the door. Curb appeal increases the odds that people will fall in love with the house before they even step inside.”

2. Do the homework necessary to set a competitive price

You’ve arrived at a critical moment in your FSBO process: setting a listing price. You don’t want to leave money on the table, yet you want to encourage activity on your listing.

Before listing a home, an agent usually conducts a comparative market analysis (CMA). This is a highly-detailed study of “comps” — similar homes nearby that have sold recently, are pending, on the market, or were previously listed but taken off the market. Some may have even been pulled off the market without a sale.

Bundy says, “Today’s homebuyer, the modern homebuyer, has more information about homes than ever before. And if you overprice your home, it doesn’t matter if you’re selling it with a Realtor® or not with a Realtor, it will not sell.”

Conduct your own “CMA Lite”

It’s time to roll up your sleeves and research.

Start with an online home value estimate

As a starting point, look at several online estimators for your home’s value. HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator aggregates publicly available data such as tax records and assessments, your home’s last sale price, and recent sales records for other properties in the same neighborhood.

We also add a new layer of information to our estimates using a short questionnaire. Tell us a few details about your Nebraska home, such as:

• How much work does it need?
• What type of home is it (single-family, condo, townhouse, or other)?
• Roughly when was your house built?
• Are you planning to sell soon?

Using these insights, we’ll provide you with a preliminary estimate of home value in under two minutes.

Whether you use Zillow, Chase, Realtor, or Redfin to get a home value estimate, think of any online home price tool as a first step (not your only source of truth) — and recognize that the data used may be limited.

Narrowly filter your search for comps

When you’re ready to find comps, you can choose from sites like Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, or Realtor.

You’ll want to filter your searches to the area very near your house (within blocks if possible) and with similar characteristics. If you’re not finding any comps, expand your search map.

You’ll also want to filter results by details like:

• Listing status (look at recently sold, pending, and active)
• Number of bedrooms
• Number of bathrooms
• Square footage
• Home type (single-family, condo, etc.)

Beyond the above criteria, the more houses you find with floor plans and an age similar to yours, the better.

Use a site like Zillow to collect your data

As an example, let’s take a look at how to filter your search for comps on Zillow.

• Navigate to Zillow.
• Type in your address. If a pop-up with your home’s specs appears, close it with the “X” on the top right (or sometimes you must click “Back to search” on the top left).
• Filter by “sold.” Yellow dots should appear on the map surrounding your house, and you will see all the recently sold homes on the right.

• Now, filter by the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and check the box “Use exact match.”

• Next, filter by home type.

• Next, select the “More” box. Here, you can specify square footage, lot size, and year built.
• While still in the “More” filter box, scroll down and select to view houses that sold in the last 30 days. If you find there are not many results in your area, try expanding to 90 days. However, the further back you go, the less relevant the comps.

• If necessary, click the plus or minus buttons to widen the search area.
• Once you’ve collected data for sold houses, revise or restart the search to view active and pending listings, as well.

Invest in an appraisal

If you want to reduce guesswork further, top agents recommend paying an appraiser to provide a professional opinion of value for your home. An appraiser will combine recent property data, research of the surrounding market, and information collected from a walkthrough of your home to determine an appraised value. For a single-family home, an appraisal will likely cost $350 to $500 — well worth it to avoid possibly over- or underpricing your house by thousands.

Bundy says, “If you have a very unique property — 100 percent, you need to get it appraised.”

“When I say unique, I’m talking about lots of acreage or luxury properties. Those are going to be important to get appraised. However, appraisal values don’t determine market value. Market value is what a buyer is willing to buy for, and what a seller is willing to sell for. An appraisal looks at past sales, and the market is moving quite a bit. An appraisal can become relevant.”

Make sense of the research

Compare your home’s features against the nearby comps you collected. Hopefully, the houses you studied give an indication of an appropriate price range for your home. From there, you can make dollar adjustments based on characteristics that add value (patios, curb appeal, an extra bedroom) versus detracting from it (a busy street, deferred maintenance, less square footage).

Consider the differences and similarities of comps with the appraised value of your home to choose a price that will encourage activity (too high, and it may seem out of reach to many buyers) but will also maximize your profit.

Bundy explains, “I would say there are a pair of big mistakes people make when trying to identify the value of their house through comps. They don’t compare similar square footage. They’ll compare their three-bedroom to a four-bedroom with more square footage and overprice the home. On the other hand, they’ll compare their four-bedroom to a three-bedroom and think that their home is worth more when it’s the exact same square footage and it’s not much more.”

3. Photograph your home

Listing photos are powerful, either pulling in buyers for showings or keeping them away.

To give your listing an edge, consider hiring an experienced real estate photographer. While they may charge as much as $100 to $125 an hour, this could be one of the most important things you do to sell your home.

For photos, Bundy stresses, “The buyer needs to see the best, the most accurate representation, or the best version of the house. That’s what professional listing photos do.”

But if you do go the DIY route, make sure to:

Review our guide on how to take quality real estate photos for further guidance.

4. Create a detailed, compelling listing

Along with stellar photos, you’ll want to craft an informative and compelling listing. Leverage both the listing description (a paragraph or two highlighting key features) and the property details to show potential buyers all about your home and what makes it desirable.

Tell a story with your description

Draw in potential buyers with a powerful listing description that tells a story about your Nebraska house, including details like:

• Your home’s most unique and desirable features, like a breakfast nook or sunroom
• Recent upgrades like a kitchen or bathroom remodel or new roof or HVAC system
• High-end appliances, materials, or finishes
• Outdoor features like a pool or patio
• Neighborhood features and amenities
• Nearby parks, walking trails, restaurants, and attractions

Bundy says a powerful listing “creates emotion in a buyer, and you’re going to get them to buy your house. You have to create that emotion inside the buyer and you do that through your listing description and your pictures.”

Don’t skimp on the property details

Aside from writing the description, you may be prompted to enter information like:

• Age of the home
• Square footage
• Architectural style (i.e., split-level, rancher, craftsman)
• Appliances included
• Exterior building materials
• Flooring types
• HOA fees
• School zone information
• Lot size

Many real estate agents and potential buyers really do read this “fine print” on your listing — so include accurate details, and plenty of them.

Bundy says, “The words you say on your listing need to make the potential buyer feel like calling this place home. If you can do that, you’ve got yourself a buyer.”

5. List your home online

It’s finally time to post your Nebraska home online. While you can create FSBO listings for free on popular search sites, you’d have to painstakingly post site by site, and your listing wouldn’t reach the majority of buyers and agents.

To give your home the most exposure, pay to have your home put on your local MLS (multiple listing service) — a platform agents use to share properties with one another as well as major real estate sites. Posting there will feed your listing to buyers’ agent databases and to common sites buyers use.

Only licensed real estate agents and brokers who are MLS members can post to the MLS. However, you have two options to gain access: paying an agent to post for you or using a FSBO platform online.

Pay an agent to list your home on the MLS

A local agent may be willing to list your house on the MLS for a flat fee, without any other involvement in your real estate transaction. If you decide to go this route, make sure you ask whether the fee includes updating your listing if necessary.

Use a FSBO platform with an MLS option

There are a variety of paid websites that you can use to list your Nebraska house online as “for sale by owner.” These sites offer packages ranging from about $100 to $400 for just a listing, or a larger flat fee of $3,000 to $5,000 that includes any number of additional professional marketing services.

Some of these companies display their rates on their websites, but others won’t quote a fee until you input your address or select an area of the country. A few examples include:

• ISoldMyHouse.com
• Unreal Estate
• FSBO.com
• Houwzer
• Clever Real Estate
• Homie Real Estate
• Assist-2-Sell
• Help-U-Sell

It’s important to note that most of these companies serve FSBO sellers nationwide, which can cause challenges if the assisting representatives don’t understand the local market trends in your Nebraska neighborhood.

Whatever you choose, read the fine print carefully: some sites may have hidden fees or even take a percentage off your sale — a detour you’d rather avoid on the FSBO route.

Not willing to pay for the MLS?

If you’re determined to save money by forgoing the MLS, creating a free FSBO listing on Zillow might be your top option. You can post videos and unlimited photos, and get fairly wide exposure via Zillow and the Zillow-owned Trulia.

6. Market your home

Experienced agents like Tyler Bundy know that posting a home on the MLS is just the beginning of the marketing phase. A successful home sale requires a deliberate and targeted marketing plan to reach the right buyers and attract the best offers.

Bundy says, “Real estate is a numbers game. If I can get my listings in front of more people, I’m going to be able to sell the home faster and for more money.”

Here are some of the steps you can take to market your home:

Place a nice FSBO sign by the road

Consider getting a custom yard sign rather than purchasing a generic one you write on with a Sharpie. You can order a custom sign on a site like Vistaprint with your contact information, plus a stand, for as little as $25 plus shipping. Note that some MLS providers may have rules about whether you can post a FSBO yard sign while your home is on the MLS.

Share on social media

Share your home across social media — and ask your friends to share, too.

Hold an open house

Try these strategies for a successful open house event:

Find more expert tips for how to hold an open house at this link.

7. Manage showings

If your marketing is successful, your next step will be to show the home to prospective buyers. Welcome to the busiest phase of the home sale process. According to Bundy, a major reason some FSBO sellers switch to an agent is that they underestimated the time, energy, and expertise needed to manage this crucial step.

Bundy says, “Most ‘for sale by owner’ sellers don’t know what questions to ask. Another downside to actually showing it yourself is buyers won’t give you accurate feedback. It’s impossible to get accurate feedback from a buyer when the owner is showing the house because most buyers want to be polite. They’ll never give you the real reason why they don’t want to buy your house. Therefore, you don’t have accurate information or accurate feedback to make your home more desirable.”

To manage the logistics of showings:

Bundy notes, “Feedback on the listing gives you a very short period of time to make changes extremely fast. Ideally, we’re reducing the time the home spends on the market and getting it sold in a changing and transitional market.”

Should you be present for showings?

If you’d rather not be present for every showing, consider using a lockbox with a code to let buyers’ agents enter the house. This is standard industry practice among agents. To ensure you’re working with someone legitimate, use Google or sites like arello.com to check their real estate license number.

With unrepresented buyers, plan to be on the property for the showing. During a showing, we recommend you:

• Point out a few highlights of the house.
• Let buyers look without hovering.
• Be prepared to answer questions.
• Avoid the temptation to tell all — let the house and listing do the talking.

When dealing with unrepresented buyers, Bundy explains, “I would be present. I wouldn’t let anyone in my house unless I was there.”

8. Evaluate offers, negotiate a deal, and make disclosures

Before signing anything, Bundy says that most buyers will have representation and may have the upper hand.

Bundy explains, “There are things that you need to consider like the date of closing and terms. The buyer may be more protected and have the ability to walk away. You don’t want to lose a buyer because you don’t know all the details in a contract.”

Here are key considerations when considering an offer on your Nebraska home:

Property condition disclosure

In Nebraska, a residential property seller is generally required to disclose using a seller’s disclosure form on or before the effective date of the purchase contract. Nebraska is not a caveat emptor (buyer beware) state.

Whether required by law or not, some sellers may prefer to provide the disclosures before an offer has even been presented so that a prospective buyer is more informed beforehand and less likely to withdraw from a deal later on.

In an agent-assisted sale, your listing agent would likely provide you with the required disclosure form(s). However, as a FSBO seller, you can find the form online.

What will you be asked? In Nebraska, you can expect to disclose any significant defects or issues you’re aware of concerning:

• Appliances: Refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher, freezer, oven, range, microwave, etc.
• Electrical Systems: Service panel capacity, ceiling fans, garage door openers, telephone and cable wiring, smoke/carbon monoxide alarms, security system, etc.
• Heating and Cooling Systems: Air purifier, attic or whole house fans, central AC, heating system, fireplace, wood-burning stove, propane tank, etc.
• Water Systems: Plumbing, Hot tub/whirlpool, swimming pool, sprinklers, water heater, purifier or softener, well system, etc.
• Sewer Systems: Sewer plumbing, sump pump, and septic system.
• Structural Conditions: Age and condition of roof (current or past leaks), water intrusion, flooding, weather damage, wood-destroying insects, or rodents, structural or foundation problems, floors, walls, windows, room additions, or any issues with outside areas such as the driveway, patio, sidewalk, or retaining walls.
• Environmental Conditions: Presence of hazardous materials (asbestos, lead-based paint, radon) and other possibly toxic situations such as contaminated soil or water, underground tanks, landfill or buried materials, or if you have been notified by Noxious Weed Control Authority in the last three years.
• Title Conditions: Shared walls, fences, driveways, issues with easements, encroachments, zoning violations, lot-line disputes, lawsuits, deed restrictions, unsatisfied judgments or disputes, HOA, or other title conditions.
• Other Conditions: Adequate water supply, water source and sewer source, septic system, sewer issues, flood plain, natural gas connections, pets, dead trees, flooding, problems with exterior, etc.
• Cleaning/Servicing Conditions: Servicing on HVAC systems, fireplace/chimney, septic, water well testing and service, treatment of wood-destroying insects or rodents, etc.

If in doubt about a problem with the home’s condition, most top real estate agents would recommend you disclose it. If you know of an issue and choose not to disclose a major problem, and that defect is later discovered, you could be held liable for damage or subsequent costs.

9. Close the sale — with professional help

Time to button up that deal.

While some states require that FSBO sellers hire a real estate lawyer to help close their sale, Nebraska does not.

However, it’s still a good idea to invest in the services of an experienced attorney as you close one of the biggest and most complex deals of your life. By doing so, you’ll minimize your legal and financial risk, plus simplify the process for yourself.

Bundy says, “Hiring an attorney is not a bad idea. Here’s what I tell people: when you hire an attorney and the deal falls apart, you still owe the attorney. You’re still required to pay them for the time that they put into the transaction and that could be several hundred dollars. Even if your home wasn’t sold. You don’t pay a listing agent unless the house sells.”

Real estate attorney fees can vary depending on location and how much help you want or need. In Nebraska, they generally range from $102 and $435 per hour, with an average of $252 per hour — well worth it for professional guidance in closing one of life’s largest legal transactions.

FSBO mistakes to avoid in Nebraska

On your FSBO journey, watch out for these major pitfalls:

• Missing out on the MLS
• Over- or under-pricing
• Letting your house sit on the market too long

Bundy says, “Most mistakes come from a general lack of knowledge and understanding of the process. It’s more than an accepted offer, inspections, and close on the house. There are fifty different things in between that, and you need to make sure that you’re in the right.”

Request a Cash Offer on Your Nebraska Home and Skip the Prep Work

Skip the prep work and the agent commissions by requesting a cash offer for your home. With HomeLight’s Simple Sale, you can receive a no-obligation all-cash offer in 24 hours, and close the sale in as few as 10 days.

Request Offer

Alternatives to selling by owner in Nebraska

If you decide you don’t want the hassle or pressure of FSBO, you’ve got other solid options.

Enlist the help of a top-rated real estate agent

Ultimately, the services and price gains you can get with an experienced real estate agent may put more money in your pocket than FSBO. A proven agent is also better equipped to help you achieve your selling and moving timelines.

Bundy shares an anecdote about how he helped a FSBO owner, “I had a client whose husband had to relocate to another state. So she’s here by herself. As a military mom, she was trying to sell the house and the market was in a transitional market. They weren’t having any luck getting the home sold and she wanted to be with her husband. She contacted me, and I listed and completed a sale two weeks later, and she reunited with her husband in North Carolina.”

Interested in such expertise? HomeLight can connect you to top-performing agents in your Nebraska market. Our free tool analyzes over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to determine which agent is best for you based on your needs. It takes only two minutes to receive your matches.

Request a cash offer to buy your Nebraska home

If you’d like to skip the sale prep altogether — plus avoid paying agent commissions — you can opt to sell your home as-is to an all-cash buyer instead.

For a low-stress experience, consider requesting a cash offer from HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform. Tell us a few details about your home, and in as few as 24 hours, we’ll send a no-obligation all-cash offer your way. If you decide to accept the offer, Simple Sale sellers have the ability to close in as little as 10 days.

Without leaving the Simple Sale platform, you’ll also be able to compare your cash offer to an estimation of what your home would sell for on the open market so you can make an informed decision.

Ready to sell your Nebraska home?

Unless you already have a buyer lined up, selling a house by owner in Nebraska requires a significant investment of time and effort. You’ll need to pull your own comps, capture excellent pictures, create a listing, market the house online, field inquiries, host showings, negotiate, and close the deal. And that’s after preparing the house itself.

You also have to consider that FSBO listings tend to sell for less than agent-assisted sales. An experienced agent who knows the area can make recommendations for targeted upgrades to help you maximize your sale price and get a premium offer. This can help to offset or, in some cases, more than make up for the cost of commission — while saving you time and headaches.

If you choose to go FSBO, you should have a good idea now of what to expect from the process.  Otherwise, our internal transaction data at HomeLight shows that the top 5% of real estate agents sell homes for as much as 10% more than average, and we’d be happy to introduce you to some of the best agents in your Nebraska market.

Writer Hayley Abernathy contributed to this story.

Header Image Source: (Taylor Siebert / Unsplash)