According to a press release by the National Association of
Realtors (NAR) regarding their 2009 annual survey of
real estate Users, 2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers,
11% of 2009 US real estate transactions were FSBO,
down from 13% in 2008, and a previous peak of
18% in 1997.[7] The record percentage of 20% of
US real estate transactions (since tracking started in 1981)
took place in 1987. Some critics of the National Association
of Realtors' report believe those statistics may be misleading
and suggest that the true size of the U.S. FSBO market is closer
to 22% because the report also found that flat-fee
MLS now makes up 10% of transactions.
They discussed that flat-fee MLS sellers are in substance
FSBO sellers. Unlike traditional real estate agent customers,
flat-fee sellers are not committed to paying a commission
and still advertise their homes as being for sale by owner.