How to Buy a House Without a Realtor in Florida (2024 Guide)

Thinking about buying a home in Florida but unsure if you need a realtor?

Many first-time buyers are now exploring the option of navigating the process independently—and for good reason. Without a realtor, you can take full control, avoid high commission fees, and still find your ideal property.

Whether you're browsing listings on your own or looking for smarter ways to make an offer, understanding how to buy a house without an agent is more relevant than ever. In this guide, we'll walk you through each step—from pre-approval to final closing—so you can confidently handle buying a house without a realtor in Florida.

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Let us look into 7 steps to buying a house without a realtor in Florida 2024.

You need to get an estimate of the amount you can afford to borrow to purchase your home. This tells the seller that you are a serious buyer having the finances to close the deal.

A pre-approved loan will also help you with the budget when checking out properties. Furthermore, you get an edge when negotiating with the seller.

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The next step is to look for homes that are in your budget. You need to look at the neighborhood, check basic amenities, and look at the crime rates in the area.

Remember, a great house in the wrong neighborhood isn't a great investment. Take your time with this step! So, check out some trusted websites like reAlpha that’ll help you in buying a home without a realtor.

A seller's disclosure is an important document that will help you get more information about the property. Get the seller's disclosure, and you can find potential issues in the house, like

• Presence of lead paint
• Repairs or damages to the property
• Any flooding or structural issues in the property
• Homeowners Association information

Once you’ve found your dream property, it is time to make an offer. Look into the neighborhood properties and check the number of days properties spend in the market. According to this information, make your purchase offer to the seller.

When you are drafting the letter, include the price, contingencies, and your proposed closing date. You can contact a real estate attorney to ensure all your interests are met and the offer is legally binding.

The next step is to do a home inspection to uncover any defects or issues in the property. Home inspections cost anywhere between $325 to $600, based on your locality.

The report from the inspection will help you find the present value of the property. Furthermore, the inspector can look into the recent sales and determine the value based on their inspection report.

Looking into the inspection results, you can negotiate with the seller. You can request fixes for issues found during the inspection or ask for a price reduction. However, you should be prepared to walk away if the seller is unwilling to address these issues.

This is the home stretch, and you’ll need to do legal checks on your mortgage applications and appraisals. You’ll also be required to do a final walk-through of the property.

If everything is great, you can review and sign the closing documents. Once you have paid your closing and made the down payment, you can celebrate in your new home.

Yes, buying a house without a realtor in Florida can save you thousands, but it’s not for everyone.

Here’s what makes it worth it for smart, informed buyers:

Pros:

• No commission fees — Save 2–3% on purchase price

• Direct negotiations — More control over offer terms

• Faster decisions — Skip agent back-and-forth

But consider if:

• You're a first-time buyer unfamiliar with contracts

• You need help spotting red flags in a home

• You’re not confident handling legal documents

Bottom Line:

Buying without a realtor works best when paired with tools like reAlpha that support you through search, offer, and closing—without charging agent fees.

Unsure to rent or buy? Read: Rent or Buy in Florida

Find the Perfect Mortgage in Florida with Be My Neighbor.

Compare options, calculate payments, and get expert guidance—all in one place.

Get Pre-approved

Now that you’ve understood how to buy a house without a realtor, let’s look into its pros and cons.

Pros

• Complete control- You can choose everything by yourself and explore the features you want. An agent cannot always provide you with personalized support as they tend to multiple clients.
• Cost savings- You can easily avoid agent commissions and directly pay the seller. Even though commissions have changed, why would you want to shell out extra cash?
• Direct negotiation- You can directly get in touch with the seller. This allows you to understand the seller and put through your points better to them.

Cons

• Complex Paperwork- The paperwork of buying a house without a realtor is complex as it contains several key documents. If you go in without a realtor, you can miss important documents.
• Negotiating skills- Agents have excellent negotiation skills through their years of experience. They can help you with the price and even find any issues in the home with a first look. This is one of the biggest risks of buying a house without a realtor for a new home buyer.
• Time Consumption- Buying a home without a realtor is quite time-consuming as you’ll have to do everything yourself. From property searches to contracts, you’ll have a tough time managing everything.

Buy your Florida dream home the smart way—with reAlpha.

We’ll help you:

• Find properties faster with AI filters
• Negotiate smarter with expert support
• Save big with commission rebates

Buy with reAlpha, bundle smart, and get up to 75% of the buyer agent commission back.

• Start with 25% for using a reAlpha agent
• Add Mortgage for 50%
• Add Title to unlock the full 75% rebate

👉 Conditional Approval: Here’s Everything You Need to Know

👉 Start your no-agent homebuying journey today with reAlpha.

Start by getting pre-approved for a mortgage. Then, search homes on sites like reAlpha, request seller disclosures, make an offer, hire a home inspector, negotiate based on findings, and finalize your loan to close the deal.

Yes, you can negotiate directly with the seller. Use market comps and your inspection report as leverage.

While not legally required in Florida, hiring a real estate attorney can protect your interests—especially when drafting offers or reviewing closing documents.

It can be if you're not prepared. Risks include missing legal steps or overpaying. However, using platforms like reAlpha can simplify the process and reduce risks.

Top choices include reAlpha, Zillow, and Redfin. reAlpha stands out by combining AI insights with human support—and offers commission rebates.

Find the Perfect Mortgage in Florida with Be My Neighbor.

Compare options, calculate payments, and get expert guidance—all in one place.

Get Pre-approved