How to Sell a House By Owner in Wyoming

Why sell a house by owner in Wyoming?

The top reason some homeowners consider selling FSBO is to avoid paying agent commissions, but things have recently changed, and the savings may not be as great as they once were.

Traditionally, agent fees used to cost sellers about 6% of their sale price because they needed to pay both their listing agent and the buyer’s agent fees. However, a recent NAR settlement has decoupled commission responsibilities. Buyers are now responsible for negotiating their own agent commissions. This means a FSBO seller may be able to save around 3%, which can still be an attractive proposition.

Selling by owner also gives you complete control over the pricing, marketing strategy, and negotiations. If you already have a buyer in mind or feel confident in your ability to manage the sale, FSBO can be an appealing option.

Another reason to go FSBO in Wyoming is the state’s relatively straightforward real estate process compared to others, especially in smaller communities where personal connections and local knowledge play a bigger role in selling.

If saving on Realtor fees is your top reason, consider this: sales data from NAR shows that FSBO houses sold last year at a median of $310,000, much lower than the median price of agent-assisted homes, $405,000. This means many FSBO sellers gave up as much as $95,000 in proceeds to save $9,000-$12,000 in agent fees.

You’ll want to weigh this potential proceeds gamble with the pros and cons of selling a house by owner in Wyoming.

Pros of selling a house by owner

• You could save up to 3% on your listing agent fees.
• You can take full control of the sale process.
• You can deal directly with buyers with no go-between delays.

Cons of selling a house by owner

• FSBO homes usually sell for less money.
• If you don’t already have a prearranged buyer, FSBOs can take longer to sell.
• You’re managing time-consuming, complex communications, and negotiations.
• Without skilled support, you may get caught in a bad deal.
• Setting a proper listing price is challenging and risky if set poorly.
• Marketing your home requires significant time, effort, and money.
• You will still incur selling costs and may face expensive seller concessions without an agent by your side.
• You may face safety risks when showing your home to unvetted strangers.
• You risk costly legal liabilities related to seller disclosure laws.

While there are formidable drawbacks, for some, selling a house by owner is a rewarding challenge, offering success that can’t be measured by proceeds alone.

Steps to sell a house by owner in Wyoming

In this section, we’ll provide an overview of each step of the FSBO process so you’ll know what to expect when selling your Wyoming home by owner.

1. Prepare your Wyoming house for sale

Whether you’re selling with a real estate agent or going the DIY route, you’ll want to get your Wyoming home ready before any open houses, or showings. This is a vital first step that can significantly increase your odds of receiving a favorable sale price.

According to a HomeLight survey of more than 1,000 of the nation’s top agents, a well-staged house can sell for up to 13% more than an unstaged house. On a home valued at $400,000, that could be as much as $52,000 more in proceeds. Here is your FSBO pre-sale to-do list.

Inside the home

• Declutter each room, including floors, shelves, and surfaces.
• Make key repairs, such as broken doors, windows, and leaky faucets.
• Update lights and other fixtures and switches.
• Clean carpets and drapes, and refinish worn hardwood floors.
• Repaint any overly bold or dingy walls using neutral colors.
• Reduce the amount of furniture in cramped rooms
• Consider renting a storage unit to relocate unwanted items.
• Stage the home with fresh flowers and other bright decor.
• Use throw rugs to help define rooms and spaces.
• Thoroughly clean and deodorize the entire house so it smells good.
• Open up window blinds or drapes to fill the house with natural light.
• Replace missing or flickering light bulbs to keep things bright.
• Create or stage a dedicated space for a home office or study.

Outside the home

You only get one shot at a good first impression, and it can be a costly missed shot if not handled properly. HomeLight data shows that buyers will pay up to 7% more for a house with positive and inviting curb appeal.

• Mow and trim your lawn and pull up any unsightly weeds.
• Apply new mulch for a renewed, fresh look.
• Enhance your landscaping with flowers or perhaps a stone walkway.
• If needed, repaint the exterior of your home.
• Consider a new front door or garage door.
• Check for weather damage, such as loose shingles or gutters.
• Clean any patio or deck areas, perhaps by renting a powerwash unit.
• Be certain your home’s HVAC is well-maintained.

2. Research the best list price for your Wyoming market

Setting your home’s list price is one of the most important steps in the entire for-sale-by-owner process. You don’t want to leave money on the negotiating table, but you want to encourage healthy buyer activity — perhaps even a bidding war.

If you were using an experienced Realtor, they would provide you with a comprehensive comparative market analysis (CMA) report. This document would contain a list of nearby recently sold or pending-sale homes, called comps. The agent would research these properties to see how your home matches up and make certain your listing price is right.

Last year, nearly 30% of surveyed agents said that the most common mistake home sellers make is overpricing their properties. A professional CMA can remove this misstep. However, if you’re willing to invest some time, you can research local comps to help you set your FSBO home’s listing price.

Conduct your own DIY CMA

If you’re willing to invest the effort, we’ll show you how to create a simplified CMA, or what might be referred to as a “lite CMA.”

Begin with an online home value estimate

Use an online tool like HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator to get a preliminary idea of what your home might be worth. This free estimator automatically compares local transaction data (tax records, county assessments), your home’s latest sale price, and recent sales records for similar nearby houses.

HomeLight’s platform also provides an extra layer of data by gathering additional information through a short questionnaire. Tell us a few details about your Wyoming home, such as:

• How much repair work does it need?
• What type of house is it (single-family home, condominium, or townhouse)?
• Approximately when was your home built?
• How soon are you planning to sell your home?

While you’ll receive an initial estimate of value in less than two minutes, it’s important to think of any online pricing tool as a ballpark, get-started step.

Filter your search for the best comps

To find comparable houses, we recommend you use an established real estate listing site like Zillow. You’ll need to filter your searches to the area near your property, even within a few blocks away, if such close-by listings are available. Be certain to search for homes with similar features as yours. If at first you can’t find fittingcomps, expand the site’s search map.

You typically can filter results by details like:

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

In addition to the above criteria, the more properties you find with floor plans and build dates similar to your home, the better.

Collect your comp data

To illustrate the next step, let’s look at how to filter your search for comps on a site like Zillow. Other property listing sites will have similar tools.

• Navigate to Zillow.
• Type in your Wyoming 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 home, and you should see all the recently sold homes on the right side.

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

• Next, filter by home type in the dropdown menu.

• Next, select the “More” box. This is where you specify square footage, lot size, year built, and — most importantly for comps — the “sold in last (time period)” category.

• 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 60 or 90 days. However, the further back you go, the less relevant the comps will be.
• If necessary, click the plus or minus buttons to widen the search area.
• Once you’ve collected data for recently sold houses, revise or restart the search to view active and pending listings, as well.

Consider hiring an appraiser

To reduce the listing price research and guesswork, consider hiring a professional appraiser to provide an expert opinion of value for your property. Similar to an agent’s CMA report, an appraiser will combine comp data with their walkthrough inspection of your home to provide a more accurate value estimate.

A professional appraisal will charge $300-$550 for a typical single-family home. However, it’s well worth the investment to avoid potentially over- or underpricing your property by thousands of dollars or more.

Review and compare your comp research

Compare the features of your Wyoming home against the nearby comps you found. If you’ve been successful, the comp houses you located will give a clear indication of an appropriate listing price for your home.

From here, you can make adjustments based on characteristics that add value versus detracting from it. For example, things that might cause a home to be worth more include:

• A dedicated home office
• An Auxiliary dwelling unit (ADU), like a mother-in-law cottage
• An extra bedroom
• A finished basement
• Energy-efficient appliances,
• Close proximity to desirable amenities (schools, shopping, parks, or trails)

Things that might reduce a home’s value include:

• Deferred maintenance
• Loud or overly busy street
• Less livable square footage
• Lack of a fenced yard
• No garage or less storage
• Proximity to an undesirable property, like a landfill

Weigh the differences and similarities of the comps with the estimated value of your home to select a fitting listing price that will encourage buyers to make an offer.

Keep in mind that if your selling price is set too high, it may feel out of reach to many Wyoming buyers who are concerned about interest rates or coming up with upfront funds. You’ll want to balance these concerns with your proceeds goals. This can be a tricky tightrope for many FSBO sellers.

3. Get stunning photographs of your home

The quality of your listing photos (both inside and out) will play a major role in finding a buyer. The right photos can draw buyers in for showings, while low-quality photos can cause them to skip your listing altogether.

To give your listing a power boost, hire a proven real estate photographer. This might cost you $170 to $200 per hour, but you’ll likely see an exceptional ROI on this investment. Ask your photographer about also creating a walkthrough video tour.

If you decide to be your own photographer, ensure that you:

• Use a high-quality camera with a wide-angle lens.
• Pay attention to the lighting levels in each room.
• Include a photo of every living space or major feature (garage, outdoor space).
• Take multiple photos of key living spaces (kitchen, primary bedroom, living room.
• Take photos from different angles (from up high or down low).

For more tips and camera/lens recommendations, see our guide: How to Take Real Estate Photos.

4. Create a compelling listing filled with home details

Along with compelling photos, write an informative and inviting listing description for your home. Take advantage of the description field (a paragraph highlighting key features) and the property details field to tell potential buyers all about your property and what makes it unique or desirable.

Tell a story with your listing description

Attract home shoppers with a magnetic listing description that tells a story about your Wyoming house, including specific details that might include:

• Desirable features, like a cozy reading or breakfast nook.
• Coveted upgrades like a full kitchen or bathroom remodel
• New roof or recently upgraded HVAC unit
• Energy-efficient appliances, sustainable materials, or luxury finishes
• Outdoor features like a hot tub, pool, or covered patio or deck
• Favorable neighborhood characteristics and nearby amenities
• Parks, trails, shopping, restaurants, and other local attractions
• Highlights in larger areas (Cheyenne or Casper), such as the best dining, historic locations, museums, or other cultural opportunities.

The listing description is an opportunity to describe what a photo may not capture. Give it a compelling headline. The first-view listing photo and headline are often your best shot at getting a buyer to reach out for a showing. Consider this your “online” curb appeal.

Include plenty of property details

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

• Total square footage and lot size
• Age of the house
• Architectural style (i.e., split-level, rancher, craftsman)
• Appliances included
• Exterior building materials
• Flooring types
• School zone information
• Homeowners association (HOA) fees

Real estate agents and potential buyers will carefully read this fine print, so it’s important to include a wide range of details.

5. List and market your home online

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

For maximum exposure, you’ll need to pay to have your home included in the multiple listing service, a real estate platform referred to as the MLS. The MLS will feed your property listing to buyers’ agent databases and major search websites where buyers are already shopping for a Wyoming home.

Only licensed agents and brokers who are MLS members can post to the local MLS in your Wyoming community. As a DIY seller, you have two main options to gain access: paying an agent to post a listing for you or using an online FSBO service.

Pay an agent to list your FSBO home on the MLS

A local agent may be willing to list your property on the MLS for a flat fee without a contract or formal involvement in the sale. If you choose this option, ask the agent whether the flat fee includes updating your listing from time to time if necessary.

Use an online FSBO service with an MLS option

You can pay a sell-by-owner platform to list your Wyoming home. These services typically offer packages priced between $100 and $400 for a basic listing up to $2,000 to $5,000 for upgraded services that include la carte options like yard signs, printed flyers, lock boxes, and other professional marketing and selling tools. Some examples of popular FSBO platforms include:

• unrealestate.com
• mlsmyhome.com
• ISoldMyHouse.com
• FSBO.com
• Houwzer
• Houzeo
• Homie Real Estate
• Assist-2-Sell
• Help-U-Sell

Some of these FSBO companies post their service fees upfront, while others don’t like to quote prices until you give them your address. If you go with a FSBO platform, read the fine print on the service agreement carefully. Some providers have complex fee structures that may include hidden charges, while others might require a percentage of your home’s final sale price.

If you’re not willing to pay to market your home on the MLS

If you’re determined to save money by skipping the MLS, you can create a free FSBO listing on Zillow where you can post a video and photos. This no-cost option will provide some decent online exposure on Zillow.com and the Zillow-owned home-search site, Trulia.com.

6. Market your home

Experienced agents know that posting a property on the MLS is just the beginning of the marketing stage. You’ll want to put together a far-reaching marketing plan that includes targeted paid advertising, color flyers, social media posts, yard signs, and traditional open houses. The goal is to boost your odds of receiving multiple purchase offers and, ultimately, higher proceeds.

Let’s look at the key steps to market your FSBO home:

Install a yard sign, but make it a good one

While it may be tempting to create your own hand-written posters, spend the money to purchase a professional-looking yard sign. You can order custom signs with ground stakes for as little as $25 through websites like Vistaprint and UPrinting. However, do some research before you post your signs. Some MLS providers and HOAs in Wyoming have sign rules.

Share your listing on social media

Post your property listing on social media platforms and ask your friends to share it. Many Wyoming home shoppers regularly look at sites like Facebook and Instagram, which can widen your buyer’s fishing net for free.

Hold a FSBO open-house event

Try these strategies for a successful Wyoming open house event:

• Share event details on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor.
• Update your MLS (or Zillow FSB) listing with your open house dates and details.
• Place open-house signs at nearby intersections.
• Pin open-house flyers on community bulletin boards.
• Thoroughly clean and tidy up your home before potential buyers arrive.
• Pass out single-page info sheets with your address, home features, and contact info.
• Collect visitor info so you can follow up later to ask if they have questions.

To find more open house tips and expert insights, see our post: How to Do an Open House Right.

7. Schedule and manage home showings

If your marketing plan is successful, you’ll have appointments to show your Wyoming home to prospective buyers. This is often the busiest and most crucial stage of the home-selling process and a major reason some FSBO sellers change their minds and hire an agent. This is because they often underestimate the time, effort, and expense needed to market and manage a home sale. An experienced agent also knows how to manage security risks that come with showings.

Here are some tips to help you navigate home showings:

• Promptly respond to all buyer inquiries.
• Establish clear end times for back-to-back showings to create a sense of demand and urgency for buyers to submit offers.
• Remove or secure your valuables throughout the home.
• Ensure your house and yard are tidy and cleaned up for showings.
• Follow up with buyers’ agents after the showing and request feedback.

Should you be present for home showings?

If you would prefer not to be present for every showing, you can place a combination lockbox on your door to allow buyers’ agents to enter your house. This is a common practice among agents, but be certain you’re communicating with a legitimate local real estate professional. Ask for references and use Google and sites like arello.com to confirm the agent’s identity and license number.

With unrepresented buyers, you’ll need to plan to show the home yourself. During a buyer tour, we recommend you:

• Point out key highlights of the house
• Avoid the temptation to say too much
• Let the house and listing do most of the talking
• Let buyers explore without hovering too closely
• Be prepared to answer questions
• Anticipate what you might be asked so you’re ready
• Have a companion with you for added security

While it’s your house, it’s important to remain detached and neutral if a potential buyer shares negative feedback or criticizes something you love about your home.

8. Evaluate offers and negotiate a deal

Before signing a purchase agreement, pause and take steps to make sure the buyers are prequalified by a reputable lender. Consider these vetting safeguards:

• Ask the buyer for a mortgage pre-approval letter or proof of funds.
• Require everything in writing, no matter how sincere the buyer seems.
• Remember, you can counter-offer and negotiate what you think is fair.
• Hire an experienced real estate attorney. (See the next step.)

Property condition disclosures to consider

Home sellers in Wyoming do not legally need to fill out a seller disclosure form. The state operates under a “caveat emptor” (buyer beware) principle, meaning buyers are responsible for inspecting the property and discovering any defects without relying on information from the seller; therefore, no disclosure statement is required by law.

However, while not mandatory, some FSBO sellers may choose to voluntarily complete a property disclosure statement to build trust with buyers and create a layer of protection against possible liabilities after the sale. If you’re in doubt about a significant problem with your home that might be a concern for a buyer, most real estate agents will advise you to disclose it.

9. Close the sale, but employ professional assistance

If your FSBO efforts have gone well, this final step is the prize moment when you close the deal. However, this is not s step you’ll want to take alone. While not required by law in Wyoming, consulting a real estate attorney is highly recommended to navigate the complexities of this stage, particularly when dealing with title issues or unique property situations.

Your home sale is likely one of the largest and most complicated transactions you’ll make in your lifetime. An attorney will help you minimize your legal and financial risk and simplify the process. While this may cost around $319 per hour, it will be well worth the investment for expert guidance, protection, and peace of mind.

Mistakes to avoid when selling FSBO in Wyoming

While on your FSBO journey in Wyoming, here are some common pitfalls to avoid:

• Not using the MLS
• Over- or under-pricing your house
• Letting your home sit on the market too long
• Not providing sufficient marketing
• Becoming overly fixated on one detail
• Failing to declutter, depersonalize, and deodorize the home

Alternatives to selling a house by owner in Wyoming

If you are having second thoughts about dealing with the hassle or pressure of a FSBO sale, you’ve got several options that can help you reach your selling objectives.

Hire a top-rated, trusted agent

Looking at the big FSBO picture (which is usually painted by proceeds), the services and price gains you’ll likely get with an experienced agent will typically put more money in your pocket at the end of the day. A top agent can also improve your odds of achieving your selling and moving timelines.

Interested in such expertise? HomeLight can connect you to performance-proven agents in your Wyoming market who have a network of trusted local professionals. Our free Agent Match tool analyzes over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to determine which Realtor is best for you based on your needs. It only takes two minutes to receive a no-commitment recommendation.

Request a cash offer to buy your Wyoming home

If you’d like to skip preparations, repairs, showings, and back-and-forth negotiations — and avoid paying agent commissions — you can opt to sell your Wyoming home as-is to a cash buyer.

HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform gives you access to the largest network of trusted cash buyers in the U.S. Provide a few details about your Wyoming home, and you’ll receive a no-obligation all-cash offer in 24 hours. If you choose to accept the offer, you can close in as little as 10 days.

But there’s an added benefit to this option. With Simple Sale, you’ll also be able to compare your cash offer to an estimation of what your house might sell for on Wyoming’s open market with a top agent. This way, you can make an informed and confident decision.

Ready to sell your Wyoming home?

Unless you already have a buyer lined up, selling a house by owner in Wyoming requires a major investment of time and effort. You’ll need to:

• Locate your own property comps
• Pay for high-quality professional photos
• Create a compelling listing
• Market your home online and on the local MLS
• Field and vet buyer inquiries
• Host showings and open houses
• Manage legal risks and possibly hire an attorney
• Negotiate the sale price and concessions
• Handle the purchase contract and other paperwork
• Of course, there’s also repairing and preparing the home

But perhaps the heaviest weight on the sell-by-owner decision scale is the fact that FSBO listings tend to sell for significantly less money than agent-assisted sales.

To help you tip the scales even further in your favor, our transaction data shows that the top 5% of Wyoming 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 Wyoming market.

Header Image Source: (Stephen Walker/Unsplash)