How to Sell Your House Online

In this article:

• How to sell your house online with an agent
• How to sell your house online as for sale by owner
• How to sell your house online directly to an iBuyer
• Why should I sell my home online?
• Is it difficult to sell a home online?
• Tips for selling a home online

If you ask anyone who’s bought a home in the last five years about how they found it, odds are the internet was involved. It could be that they used a public website like Zillow, or someone else (like their agent) shared the online listing with them. Selling your home online is a great way to get it in front of buyers, but making the most of what the internet has to offer takes some strategizing. There are a few primary approaches to think through: selling with the help of an agent or selling it yourself; or selling to an instant buyer. The best path for you might depend on your financial goals, your timeline, and your willingness to put in some work. Let’s get into your options, and the pros and cons of each.

1. How to sell your house online with an agent

Marketing is one of the biggest ways a full-service real estate agent can help you sell your home. Seller’s agents know all the best places to post listings — on and offline — and they may have a significant social media presence where they can share homes as well. Zillow 2024 research found that 69% of sellers hired an agent specifically to help them market their home and find buyers.

Listing agents typically handle the entire online marketing and sale process for you, including presenting your home in the best possible way. That could involve staging your home beautifully to impress buyers, and using Zillow Showcase℠, a premium listing package that makes your home stand out and, on average, drives 75% more views, saves and shares.*

Pro tip: You can search for experienced seller’s agents in your area on Zillow, see their reviews, and compare agent profiles. Ask any potential agents about whether they partner with Showcase.

Another part of an agent’s job is to get as many eyes on your listing as possible. Most agents are members of their local multiple listing service (also called the MLS), which is an online database of professionally listed homes. The MLS syndicates home listings to public sites like Zillow, which helps you gain maximum exposure for your property. Zillow research conducted in January 2025 found that 81% of sellers said it was somewhat or very important that their home be listed publicly.

If you decide to work with an agent, you can negotiate their commission before you sign an agreement to work with them. There is no set dollar amount or percentage of the sale price for agent commissions, and your agent’s fees will depend on factors like the services they offer and where the sale is taking place.

Pros and cons of selling with an agent:

Pros: 

Agents take care of listing, marketing, and selling your home.

They can guide you in how to make your home look its best and stand out.

Cons:

Their commission comes out of your selling profits.

2. How to sell your house online as for sale by owner (FSBO)

Taking your home sale into your own hands is called listing your home “for sale by owner,” or FSBO. Instead of using an agent, you would handle listing your home, online marketing, paperwork, and everything else. According to Zillow’s 2024 Consumer Housing Trends Report, 7% of sellers did not hire an agent at any point in their process. While only licensed agents can list homes on the MLS, there are separate websites where owners can pay to list their homes, then share that listing onto sites like Zillow. 

Sellers typically choose to list FSBO to avoid needing to pay commissions to a listing agent. However, selling FSBO isn’t without its costs; you may need to pay for marketing and you’ll potentially be asked to pay the buyer's agent’s commission if the buyer is working with an agent. 

When selling your home yourself, you will have to handle all your marketing. This could be easy if you’re pretty familiar with online marketing and social media, but if you’re not, it could be tough and time consuming.

Pro tip: When you write your home’s online listing description, call out any new features or upgrades to help attract buyers.

To ensure you're taking full advantage of your home's online presence, claim your home on Zillow and update your home’s information. Did you install a new roof, or upgrade something else? Specify that in your home’s Zillow profile. This can influence your home's Zestimate to give you a more accurate measurement of what your home is worth. It will also give you access to an owner dashboard that shows local market activity, the best time to list, and tools to help you price your home.

Pros and cons of listing For Sale By Owner:

Pros:

You have control over your entire selling process.

You can save money by not paying as much in agent commissions.

Cons:

Selling on your own takes a lot of time and effort.

You may not have the marketing reach of an agent.

3. How to sell your house online to an instant buyer

One of the quickest ways to sell your home is to make a deal with an iBuyer, or instant buyer. But it can also be one of the least profitable. This is a process where you contact a real estate investment company, give them information about your property, and they send you an all-cash offer. It’s typically far faster than selling your home the traditional way because you can do the entire process online, don’t have to wait to find a buyer, and you can sell your home as-is, skipping things like inspections, repairs, and open houses. 

While this is often the quickest way to get your home sold, iBuyers tend to offer less money overall. Homeowners who accept iBuyer offers tend to receive less money for their homes compared to sellers who worked with a real estate agent. 

An iBuying company might send someone over to evaluate your home’s condition, depending on the company and your location, but usually these deals are done sight unseen. After that, they’ll send you an offer and you’ll close within a few days. Just know that iBuyers charge service fees up to 9% of your selling price, and if your home needs significant repairs, they’ll deduct that from your final offer amount. 

If you want to get started on the iBuyer process, you can check your home’s eligibility to sell to Opendoor through Zillow.

Pros and cons of selling to an instant buyer:

Pros:

You can skip most stages of the selling process if your goal is a quick turn sale.

You’ll have the certainty of an all-cash offer.

Cons:

You may receive a lower offer vs. listing your home through traditional methods.

iBuying companies only operate in select markets.

Why should I sell my home online?

Selling online is a streamlined way to reach a pool of potential buyers who are actively searching for homes. A 2024 Zillow Group Report found that 94% of home buyers use at least one online resource when shopping for a home, so while yard signs can be helpful, it's important to have your home listed on the local MLS and on sites like Zillow.

If you're courting a cash buyer, selling online can make even more sense. Investors and iBuyers operate almost exclusively online, so having an online presence makes it quicker and easier to attract cash buyers, both local and across the country.

Is it difficult to sell a home online?

No, it is not difficult to sell your home online. In fact, it would be much more difficult to sell your home today without going online — remember, nearly 100% of buyers are shopping online.

How challenging the process will be for you depends on which of the three previously mentioned routes you choose as well as your level of patience, your expertise, and your financial goals. 

Standard method of selling a home online: hiring an agent

Because you're paying for the complete services of a listing agent, this traditional method of selling can be less work for the seller than other avenues. A full-service agent will handle all marketing, guide you through buyer negotiations and assist you with closing. 

If you do want to hire an agent, here’s a quick list of what you’ll have to do:

• Research agents
• Interview, negotiate, and sign an agreement
• Agree on listing price and marketing strategies and list online
• Clean and stage
• Accommodate showings and open houses
• Accept an offer
• Go under contract and attorney review (if applicable)
• Pack up and move out
• Sign closing paperwork
• Close

Most difficult method of selling a home online: FSBO

In a for-sale-by-owner listing, you are responsible for all the marketing, showings, negotiations and contract paperwork. If you want to learn more about listing for sale by owner, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what you can generally expect from the FBSO process:

• Research your market
• Set a competitive price
• Clean and stage
• Take excellent photos
• Write a captivating listing description
• Share your listing on Zillow and social media
• Accommodate and attend showings
• Screen buyers
• Negotiate offers
• Accept an offer
• Go under contract and attorney review (if applicable)
• Pack up and move out.
• Prepare and sign closing paperwork
• Close

Method of selling a home online where you have the most control over the timeline: Selling to an instant buyer

You may consider selling for a cash offer from an iBuyer if you want to get your home sale over and done with, especially if you’re pressed for time or your home is in need of repairs that exceed your budget. These are the steps that the process usually entails: 

• Research instant buyers
• Reach out to iBuyers
• Get your home’s price valuation
• Receive an offer and review the terms
• Accept offer
• Final inspection
• Close
• Receive your cash
• Move out

Tips for selling a home online

Regardless of how you sell online, here's what you need to know to help the process run smoothly.

If you're working with an agent:

Check your listing on Zillow: Make sure your listing is accurate and your home's best features are highlighted with quality photos. 

Share the listing: Although your agent is in charge of marketing, it doesn't hurt to let your friends, family, and coworkers know your home is for sale — and share on your personal social media, too.

Be flexible with showings: Now that buyer's agents can schedule showings with the click of a button or a quick text, it's best to be prepared for last-minute requests. The more potential buyers you get through the door, the more likely you are to sell.

If you're going to list FSBO:

Don't overprice: Be realistic with your listing price. Overpricing your home can increase time on the market, lead to a stale listing and necessitate a price reduction. To check your pricing against an independent (and free) estimate on your home's value, check out its Zestimate.

Be professional: See what professional real estate agents in your area are doing and try to emulate them whenever possible, especially when it comes to photography and your listing description.

Compensate the buyer's agent: While you won't have to pay commission for your own listing agent, it's smart to offer a buyer's agent commission. If buyer's agents see you're not offering a commission, they may be less inclined to show their clients your home.

If you're going to sell to an instant buyer:

Get multiple offers: Reach out to various iBuyers and see what they’re offering so you can get the best deal possible. An offer alone is not binding.

Manage your expectations: Cash offers from iBuyers are often lower than what your home could sell for if you used an agent and posted on the MLS, so you may not receive what you believe your home is worth.

*Compared to similar, nearby non-Showcase listings on Zillow. All claims are based on data available here.