'For Sale by Owner' Means Cutting Commission, but at What Cost?

That's still a teensy sliver of the pie. Nationally, the number of existing houses sold has jumped to a record 7.1 million last year from about 6.2 million in 2003, according to NAR statistics.

"By their very nature, [FSBOs] don't report," said Stefan Swanepoel, a California-based real estate consultant.

The industry has "for the last decade used a percentage between 10 and 15 percent," Swanepoel said. "But I've also heard people say that maybe as many as 20 to 25 percent [of sellers] might have started as FSBOs but somewhere in the process changed their minds. They dropped out either because it was too tedious or too lengthy a process, or because they decided there was too much traffic in my house or that they didn't want to spend the marketing dollars."

The big question for sellers, he said: "Can you be as effective as an agent? You always think you can do it faster, but it's not that easy."

A basic listing on Sambrotto's company's Web site costs $89.95 a month. Higher-end packages cost $699 and $899 for an array of materials plus access to the local multiple-listing service through a local real estate broker. The broker charges a flat fee, not a commission, for getting the listing into the Realtors' listing database, and the seller pays only the 3 percent commission to the buyer's agent.

In response to the popularity of FSBO Web sites, flat-fee listing brokerages and discount brokerages, the Realtors association in February unveiled a $25 million "public awareness campaign" to trumpet the value of its 1.2 million members. One of the new commercials, called "Don't Try This at Home," ballyhoos the recent association survey that says agents help their clients make a bigger profit than FSBOs.

The industry has faced official allegations that it deters competition by controlling access to listing information and other practices. The Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission are investigating various NAR practices; the association disputes charges that its policies are anti-competitive.

Unlike some do-it-yourself devotees, condo seller Mou is not opposed on principle to using an agent. But because his last outing with an agent tanked, he figures he'll try the FSBO alternative for a month or two. "If it doesn't sell in 30 or 45 days or whatever the average time on market is now, we may go back to find ourselves an agent. It's very emotional and draining to go through all the showings," he said.

Jim Landolt of Great Falls calls himself "a fan of FSBOs" -- he has sold two properties that way and is in the process of selling a vacant lot in West Virginia. But he said there are drawbacks. One is setting the asking price. "You will get no help for this."

But because there are more ways to access recent sales through the Internet, including new Web sites such as Zillow.com, which promises to provide an instant "zestimate" of the value of many houses, Landolt said it is becoming easier to calculate prices.

He said, "You also won't get help negotiating the terms." That could make some sellers nervous or send them to a discount broker for representation at the last minute.

Charlene Hout, who is selling her Georgetown house herself, said the process is intense and requires a full-time commitment. "I consider this my job, but if I can make the kind of money that I would give up in the commission, I've done really well, haven't I?" she said.