Well it can be easy - it just depends on rules in your area. We get people where a buyer approached someone who didn't even have the house on the market. They come to us (title company) and ask what they need to do. All that we need to get the process started is a purchase agreement. The purchase agreement is everything though - it says if they are going to do inspections, survey, etc. Realistically, they can find a purchase agreement online and we'll handle the closing, transfer, recording, etc. They'd have to handle any of the other items (inspections, survey, required disclosures, etc.). This can be really smooth on a cash transaction, but with financing, it's another story.
As a neutral party in the process, I've seen it all. A lot of for sale by owner deals are total shitshows. With that said, I've seen realtors who really shouldn't even be licensed who fuck everything up. I've seen realtors grossly overpaid for "doing paperwork" on a for sale by owner deal. I'd prefer most deals to go through good realtors, but nowadays, the system is setup to have a ton of shitty realtors as long as the owners are getting their cut. When I first started in this industry, most realtors were full time. Now it's a dime a dozen with some that just do a handful of transactions per year.
