Updated October 2026. Florida deadlines checked against the 2025 Florida Statutes on October 20, 2026.
To sell your house by owner in Florida, work through 10 steps: gather your papers, price from recent sales, prep and photograph the home, fill in the Florida disclosures, get it seen, run showings, compare offers, sign a contract, get through inspections and close with a title company. The typical home value in Florida was $375,400 in September 2026 (Zillow Home Value Index), down 0.9% over the year. If you want the MLS, Beycome lists you for $99, with $0 at closing.
Jump to: 🏠 Ways to sell · 🪜 10 steps · ⏱️ Deadlines · 📍 Without the MLS · ❓ FAQ
Key takeaways
- You can sell by owner with or without the MLS. The MLS route costs $99 upfront with Beycome and adds the buyers who search through agents.
- Have the flood disclosure ready before any offer. Florida requires it at or before the contract.
- Some clocks are set by law: 10 days for a lead paint test on pre-1978 homes, and 3 days for an HOA buyer to cancel after a late disclosure summary.
- A title company closes the sale. Beycome Title charges a $99 settlement fee in Florida when prepaid.
Which way should you sell your Florida house?
“By owner” covers more than one route. Pick before you start, because it changes steps 5 to 7. Here are the four we see, side by side, as of October 2026.
| Route | Who finds buyers | Paid upfront | Paid at closing | Who negotiates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| By owner, no MLS | You: sign, Zillow, word of mouth | $0 to a few hundred dollars for ads | Only what you agree to | You |
| By owner on the MLS (Beycome Basic) | The MLS, Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin and you | $99 | $0 to Beycome | You, with Artur AI |
| Flat fee with a person (Beycome Concierge) | Same as above, plus pro photos and full marketing | $999 (list $1,399, limited time) | $0 to Beycome | A Beycome person |
| Listing agent | The agent and the MLS | Usually $0 | A commission you negotiate | The agent |
In every route, buyer’s agent pay is a separate choice you make with each offer. Doc stamps and title costs apply too. Our guide to selling your Florida home without a realtor breaks down those costs and the rules behind them.
The 10-step checklist for selling by owner in Florida
1. Gather your papers
Find your deed, your survey if you have one, and your last tax bill. Ask your lender for a payoff letter. For an HOA home, get the rules and the dues amount. For a condo, request the association documents now. A buyer is entitled to them, and associations can be slow.
Check that every owner on the deed can sign. A missing spouse, an heir or a trust is a common snag in a by-owner sale.
2. Set a price from real sales
Look at homes like yours that sold in the last few months, close by. List prices tell you what people hope for. Sold prices tell you what buyers pay. Our free home value calculator gives you a starting range.
The pricing mistake we see most is confusing what the home means to you with what it’s worth on the market. Years of memories, or a $30,000 kitchen redo, don’t add their cost to the price, and a buyer may not even share your taste. Starting high to “leave room to negotiate” rarely helps either. In September 2026, Florida homes sold at 96.6% of list price and 21.1% of homes for sale had a price drop, according to Redfin’s Florida housing market data. Price from sold comps, and if you get no showings in the first two weeks, revisit the price.
3. Prep and photograph the home
Fix what a buyer will notice in the first minute. Clean, clear the counters, open the blinds. Shoot in daylight: the front, every main room, the yard and any water view. On the MLS with Beycome, you can upload as many photos as your MLS allows.
4. Fill in your Florida disclosures
Do this before you list, not when an offer lands. Most Florida sellers need the flood disclosure, the radon notice, and a written list of known defects. Add the HOA disclosure summary or condo documents if they apply, and the lead paint form for homes built before 1978. The legal detail for each one is in our Florida seller guide.
5. Get it seen
On the MLS, a flat-fee broker enters your listing and the big sites pick it up. With Beycome, a complete file goes live within 2 business days, often in about 2 hours, or 36 hours or less on Enhanced (photo shoot scheduled separately). We list on 16 Florida MLSs, so it lands where local agents search.
Off the MLS, you need a sign, a for-sale-by-owner listing and some patience. Our guide to selling by owner on Zillow shows what you can and can’t post there.
6. Run showings
Decide how buyers get in: you open the door, or a lockbox for agents. Beycome includes ShowingTime where your MLS offers it, so requests come to your phone. Put away cash, meds and papers. Ask for the agent’s name and the buyer’s pre-approval before a private visit.
7. Compare offers on more than price
Look at the price, the deposit, cash or loan, the inspection period, the closing date and any request to pay the buyer’s agent. A lower cash offer with a short inspection period can beat a higher one with a shaky loan. On Basic and Enhanced, the Artur AI assistant lays offers side by side and helps you counter. On Concierge, a person negotiates with you, always on your side.
8. Sign a Florida contract
Most Florida deals use the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar forms, either the standard contract or the AS IS version. Read the inspection period, the financing deadline and who pays doc stamps and title. Our FSBO contract guide for Florida covers the terms owners miss. Send the signed contract and deposit to the title company.
9. Get through inspections and appraisal
Expect a home inspection and, with a loan, an appraisal. Florida buyers often ask for repairs or a credit after the inspection. You can agree, offer a credit or say no. Order the HOA estoppel letter now. It shows what you owe the association, and the fee is capped at $250, plus $100 for a rush, when you’re current on dues.
Sell smarter
List your home on the MLS from $99
A flat fee instead of a percentage, and $0 to Beycome at closing. You stay in control of your sale.
Sell your home →Buy smarter
Get up to 2% back at closing
On homes listed by other agents, Beycome credits you up to 2% of the price at closing (1% kept, $1,499 minimum; not on FSBO homes or homes listed by Beycome sellers).
Buy a home →10. Close with a title company
The title company checks the title, gets your loan payoff, prepares the settlement statement and records the deed. Review that statement line by line before you sign. Beycome Title closes Florida sales for a $99 settlement fee when prepaid on beycome.com, and you can use any title company you like. Then hand over the keys.
Which Florida deadlines are set by law?
Your contract sets most dates. These ones come from statute or federal rule, so plan around them.
| What | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Flood disclosure | At or before the contract is signed | Fla. Stat. §689.302 |
| Radon gas notice | On a document signed at or before the contract | Fla. Stat. §404.056(5) |
| HOA disclosure summary | Before the contract; if late, buyer may cancel within 3 days of getting it or before closing | Fla. Stat. §720.401 |
| HOA estoppel certificate | Due within 10 business days of the request, or no fee may be charged | Fla. Stat. §720.30851 |
| Lead paint test window | 10 days for the buyer, unless both sides agree to change it | EPA rule, pre-1978 homes |
| Beycome MLS go-live | Within 2 business days of a complete file (often about 2 hours); 36 hours or less on Enhanced | Beycome |
What changes if you skip the MLS?
The law doesn’t change. You still owe the same disclosures, doc stamps and title costs. What changes is who sees the home and who does the work.
- You find the buyers. Plan for a sign, a by-owner listing site, social posts and open houses.
- Agents can still bring buyers, but they have to find you first. Expect calls asking whether you’ll pay their fee.
- You’ll field more unscreened calls. Ask for a pre-approval or proof of funds before a showing.
- You can switch later. If a month goes by with no good offer, you can add a $99 flat-fee MLS listing at any point.
The rest of the checklist stays the same. For a broader look at listing sites, see our roundup of for sale by owner websites.
When you’re ready for the MLS step, list your Florida home for $99. To compare every Florida flat-fee company first, see our Florida flat fee MLS comparison.
Selling by owner in Florida: FAQ
How do I sell my house by owner in Florida?
Gather your papers, price from recent sales, prep and photograph the home, and fill in the disclosures. Then list it, on the MLS or off, run showings, compare offers, sign a contract and close with a title company.
What paperwork do I need to sell my house by owner in Florida?
Your deed, a loan payoff letter, the flood disclosure, the radon notice, a list of known defects and a purchase contract. Add HOA or condo documents if they apply, and the lead paint form for homes built before 1978.
Do I need to list on the MLS to sell my house in Florida?
No. It’s optional. The MLS puts the home in front of buyers who search through agents and feeds Zillow, Realtor.com and Redfin. A flat-fee listing with Beycome is $99, with $0 at closing.
How long does it take to sell a house by owner in Florida?
It depends on your price, your area and the closing period in your contract. Budget time for prep and paperwork before you list, and revisit the price if you get no showings in the first two weeks.
Who closes a by-owner sale in Florida?
A title company or a real estate attorney. Beycome Title closes Florida sales for a $99 settlement fee when prepaid. Title insurance and recording are separate.
Do I have to pay the buyer’s agent when I sell by owner?
No. It’s a term you can accept, refuse or counter in each offer. Since August 17, 2024, offers to pay buyer’s agents can’t be shown on the MLS.
Reviewed by Beycome of Florida LLC, licensed real estate brokerage (FL #CQ1033978).
Prices as of October 2026. “$0 at closing” means no Beycome fee at closing. Doc stamps, title insurance, recording, other closing costs and any buyer’s agent pay you agree to still apply.
Real estate commissions are not set by law or by NAR rules and are fully negotiable. Sellers choose whether to offer any compensation to a buyer’s agent, and how much; since August 17, 2024, those offers can’t be shown on the MLS.
Beycome plans: cancel with no fee* (Georgia MLS: $25); no refund once the listing is live; listings under contract can’t be canceled. Listing term is the maximum the state and MLS allow** (24 months; 12 in Maryland and Pennsylvania). MLS go-live times assume a complete, correct file.
Beycome Title closes in Florida and Texas today, and Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana starting November 1, 2026. Home values: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026. General information, not legal advice; rules vary by county, HOA and MLS.
Sources
- Fla. Stat. §689.302, flood disclosure.
- Fla. Stat. §404.056, radon notice.
- Fla. Stat. §720.401, HOA disclosure summary.
- Fla. Stat. §720.30851, estoppel certificates.
- Fla. Stat. §718.503, condo resale documents.
- EPA, lead-based paint disclosure.
- NAR, what the settlement means for buyers and sellers.
- Beycome, Florida listing packages and listing package features, October 2026.
- Beycome Title.
- Zillow Research, Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026.
- Beycome internal data, October 2026 (Florida MLS coverage).
- Redfin, Florida housing market, September 2026: 96.6% sale-to-list, 21.1% of homes with price drops (read October 21, 2026).
Disclosure & Disclaimer
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Articles are provided for general informational and educational purposes only, not as financial, tax, legal, or investment advice or a recommendation for your particular situation. Reading this blog does not create a brokerage, advisory, or other professional relationship.
Information, opinions, pricing, service descriptions, and comparisons reflect the sources and information available when an article was published or last updated and may change. Although we aim for accuracy, we do not guarantee that all content is complete, current, or applicable to your circumstances. Laws, market conditions, and service availability vary by location. Examples and estimated savings are illustrative, depend on stated assumptions, and do not guarantee individual results.
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