what is for sale by owner fsbo 
 for sale by owner fsbo indicates that a property is available for purchase directly from the owner rather than through a real estate agent or broker some sellers choose this option to avoid paying agent commissions those commissions usually total 5 to 6 of the sale price split between the seller s agent also known as a listing agent or broker and the buyer s agent if any fsbo sales while less expensive for the owner have their own set of costs as we explain here 