How to Sell Your House in Virginia Without a Realtor (2026)

Updated October 2026. Code of Virginia sections, Real Estate Board forms and county recording fees checked on October 23, 2026.

Yes, you can sell your house in Virginia without a realtor. As of October 2026, you give the buyer the Real Estate Board’s disclosure statement before the contract is ratified, pay the grantor’s tax of $0.50 per $500 ($412.50 on a $412,300 home), and close with the settlement agent the buyer picks. A flat fee broker can still put you on Bright MLS, CVRMLS or another Virginia MLS: Beycome Basic is $99, with $0 at closing.

Jump to: 🪜 Steps · 📍 Virginia rules · 💲 Costs · 🤝 Closing · ❓ FAQ

How do you sell a house by owner in Virginia?

The basic steps are the same everywhere. What changes in Virginia is the paperwork before the contract and who runs the closing. Here’s the order we’d follow.

1. Download the Residential Property Disclosure Statement and the acknowledgement form from the Real Estate Board’s page on the DPOR website.
2. If you’re in a condo or HOA, order the resale certificate from the association early. You pay for it.
3. Price from recent nearby sales. Our home value calculator gives you a starting range.
4. List on the MLS that covers your county, so buyers’ agents and the big portals see the home.
5. Give the disclosures to buyers before you ratify a contract.
6. Negotiate price, deposit, contingencies and the settlement date.
7. Sign the deed at settlement. The grantor’s tax is paid and the circuit court clerk records the deed.

New to this? Start with our hub on how to sell a house by owner, then our paperwork checklist and FSBO contract guide.

Which MLS covers your part of Virginia?

Virginia doesn’t have one MLS. It has several regional ones, and the right one depends on your county. Beycome lists on these (Beycome internal data, October 2026):

• Bright MLS, for Northern Virginia, including Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William.
• Central Virginia Regional MLS (CVRMLS), for Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield.
• REIN MLS, through CVRMLS, for Hampton Roads: Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake and nearby cities.
• Charlottesville Area MLS (CAAR), for Charlottesville and Albemarle.
• The Roanoke Valley MLS, Southwest Virginia MLS and Lynchburg MLS, for the west and southwest.
• My State MLS Virginia, a statewide option.

Values swing a lot across the state. In September 2026, Zillow put the typical home at $801,800 in Arlington, $424,800 in Virginia Beach, $361,800 in Richmond and $277,500 in Roanoke. That’s why the MLS matters: it’s where local buyers’ agents look first. Our guide to listing on the MLS without a realtor explains how a flat fee listing works.

What does Virginia law require from a seller?

The disclosure statement: buyer beware, in writing

The Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act (Va. Code § 55.1-700 and following) asks for something unusual. Under § 55.1-703, you give the buyer a statement saying you make no representations about the home’s condition, lot lines, nearby parcels, flood zones, radon, defective drywall and more. The buyer is told to do their own checks, like a home inspection and a survey.

So it’s short, but it isn’t optional. The Real Estate Board posts the current form on DPOR’s disclosure page; the version listed today is effective July 1, 2026. Sellers must also complete the acknowledgement form and get the Flood Risk Information Form to the buyer.

Things you must disclose if you know them

A few facts override the “no representations” approach. If you have actual knowledge, you disclose it on the Board’s form:

• Pending building code enforcement or unremedied zoning violations you were notified of in writing (§ 55.1-706).
• Past use of the home to make methamphetamine, if it wasn’t cleaned up to state guidelines (§ 55.1-708).
• A privately owned stormwater facility and its maintenance duties (§ 55.1-708.1).
• Repetitive flood loss: two or more flood insurance claims over $1,000 within any rolling 10-year period since 1978 (§ 55.1-708.2).

Near a military air base, § 55.1-704 adds a form saying whether the parcel sits in a noise or accident potential zone. And under § 55.1-711, any material change must be disclosed at or before settlement.

Timing, and what happens if you’re late

Under § 55.1-709, the disclosures are due before the contract is ratified. If they come later, the buyer’s only remedy is to terminate. That right lasts 3 days after in-person or electronic delivery, or 5 days after the postmark if mailed. It ends sooner at settlement, occupancy, a loan application that warns about it, or a separate written waiver.

Condos and HOAs: the resale certificate

If your home is in a common interest community, the contract has to say so. You must get a resale certificate from the association for the buyer (§ 55.1-2308). The seller pays the fees to prepare and deliver it (§ 55.1-2316). Unless the contract sets another period, the buyer can cancel within 3 days of getting it (§ 55.1-2312).

Lead paint for older homes

For homes built before 1978, federal rules add the lead-based paint disclosure and the EPA pamphlet. Buyers get a 10-day window to test, unless they agree in writing to change or waive it.

How much does it cost to sell a house in Virginia?

Here’s the math on $412,300, the typical Virginia home value in September 2026 (Zillow Home Value Index). Tax rates come from the Code of Virginia and the Prince William County circuit court’s fee page, read October 23, 2026.

The grantor’s tax and both regional fees can be shifted to the buyer by agreement; the statutes allow it. The City of Alexandria’s recordation page says the state and local recordation taxes are paid by the purchaser. Outside Northern Virginia, the seller’s tax on $412,300 is just $412.50. Inside it, add $824.60 for the two regional fees, for $1,237.10 in all.

On an Arlington home at Zillow’s $801,800 typical value, the seller’s side is $802 in grantor’s tax plus $1,603.60 in regional fees: $2,405.60. To compare costs across states, see our 2026 commission guide by state.

Who handles the closing in Virginia?

The buyer picks. Va. Code § 55.1-1007 requires every contract for a home with up to four units to say, in bold, that the purchaser or borrower has the right to select the settlement agent. It also says the seller may not require a particular settlement agent as a condition of the sale.

Under § 55.1-1003, a settlement agent can be a lawyer, a title company, a licensed title agent, a broker or a bank. They handle title, payoffs and the money. They can’t give you legal advice unless they’re a Virginia lawyer you’ve hired, so hire your own attorney if you want help with the deed or contract.

Do you need a realtor to sell in Virginia?

No, it’s not required; it’s your choice. Both paths work. A listing agent prices the home, runs showings, negotiates and keeps the paperwork on schedule, and you pay for that service. Selling yourself, you handle those parts and keep the fee. The state forms and the settlement steps are the same either way.

With Beycome Basic, Artur, our AI assistant, helps you read and answer offers, and you get e-signature, unlimited listing changes and ShowingTime where your MLS offers it. Your listing stays up for the maximum the state and MLS allow**, and you can cancel free* before you’re under contract. If you’d like a person to negotiate while you keep every decision, Beycome Concierge is $999 through October 31, 2026 (list price $1,399); from November 1, 2026, it’s $1,399. Either way, it’s $0 at closing.

Buying your next home too? Our buyer program is open to every buyer on homes listed by other agents. Beycome keeps 1% (minimum $1,499) and credits the rest of the buyer-agent commission to you at closing (the commission credit can’t apply where no buyer-agent commission is offered, like most FSBO homes, or on homes listed by Beycome sellers). Need your parcel number for the listing? Here’s how to find your Virginia property tax ID. When you’re ready, start on our Virginia flat fee MLS page.

Virginia FSBO questions

Reviewed by Beycome Brokerage Realty LLC, licensed real estate brokerage (VA #0226039625). Licenses: beycome.com/faq/how-to/are-you-a-licensed-broker/.