Lawrence, KS · For Sale By Owner
For Sale By Owner Help: Contract Writing & Closing Guidance
Found your buyer (or your house) without an agent? Once both sides have come to general terms, Bryan Hedges can write the Kansas sales contract and guide everyone to a smooth closing, as a neutral under Kansas law, not as an agent or advocate for either party. Fees are negotiable, approximately 1.5% of the sale price.
And it isn't just for FSBO sales: this service fits any unlisted home, property, or investment propertywhere full marketing isn't needed, a sale between neighbors, family members, landlord and tenant, or investor to investor, where the buyer and seller have a general agreement and need help taking it to closing.
The Kansas Law That Makes This Possible
Kansas's Brokerage Relationships in Real Estate Transactions Act (BRRETA) expressly recognizes that a licensed broker can assist a transaction without representing either side. The statute defines it directly:
“‘Transaction broker’ means a broker who assists one or more parties with a real estate transaction without being an agent or advocate for the interests of any party to such transaction.”
The same statute also recognizes “ministerial acts,” the informative and clerical assistance a licensee may provide without it rising to representation:
“‘Ministerial acts’ means those acts that a licensee may perform for a person that are informative in nature and do not rise to the level of active representation on behalf of a person.”
In plain terms: you and the other party make your own deal, and Bryan, a licensed Kansas broker, documents it correctly and shepherds it to closing as a neutral. The specific capacity and services are disclosed and agreed in writing before any work begins, exactly as Kansas law requires. (This page is general information, not legal advice; for legal questions about your transaction, consult a Kansas attorney.)
How It Works, Handshake to Closing
1. You Make Your Deal
Buyer and seller come to general terms on their own: price, closing timeframe, what stays with the home. Bryan is not involved in this part and does not negotiate for either side.
2. Bryan Writes the Contract
Bryan puts your agreement into a proper Kansas residential sales contract: legal description, financing and appraisal terms, inspection period, earnest money handling, title and closing arrangements, and the deadlines that keep a deal enforceable.
3. Disclosures & Required Forms
Bryan provides the Seller's Property Condition Disclosure for the seller to complete, plus the other recommended forms, lead-based paint disclosure for pre-1978 homes, the Kansas brokerage-relationships disclosure, and wire-fraud advisories, so nothing is missing when the lender and title company ask.
4. Inspections, Title & Escrow
Earnest money goes into escrow, title work is ordered with your preferred title company (or one of several trusted options Bryan can suggest), and the inspection period runs on schedule with Bryan guiding the logistics.
5. A Smooth Closing
Bryan coordinates with the title company, the buyer's lender, and both parties through signing, keeping the deadlines met and the paperwork complete so your handshake deal becomes a recorded deed.
Who This Service Is Not For
This service is only for unlisted properties and unrepresented parties. It is not offered for any property currently listed with a brokerage or agent, and it cannot be provided if either the buyer or the seller already has a buyer or seller agreement with any broker. If you are under an existing agreement, your broker is your resource for the transaction, honoring those relationships is part of doing this right. Not sure whether an old agreement still applies? Ask Bryan before submitting the form and he'll help you sort it out.
What It Costs
Fees for this service are not set by law and are fully negotiable. As a guideline, plan on approximately 1.5% of the sale price, though the fee can vary depending on the type of property and the amount of time and coordination your transaction needs. A straightforward single-family sale takes less work than a multi-unit investment property with tenants and leases to account for, and the fee reflects that. Whatever the number, it is agreed in writing before any work begins, and both parties keep the savings of their direct deal while getting a correctly written contract, complete disclosures, and a professionally coordinated closing.
For Sale By Owner in Kansas, Frequently Asked Questions
Is this service only for For Sale By Owner deals?
No. It fits any unlisted sale where full marketing isn't needed because the buyer and seller have already found each other: a neighbor buying the house next door, a family transfer, a landlord selling to a tenant, an investor-to-investor deal, or an owner selling a rental to its longtime occupant. If the two sides have a general agreement and need it written up correctly and carried to closing, this is the service.
Can we use this service if the property is listed or one of us has an agent?
No. This service is only for unlisted properties and unrepresented parties. It is not offered for any property currently listed with a brokerage or agent, and it cannot be provided if either the buyer or the seller has an existing buyer or seller agreement with any broker. If an agreement exists, that broker is your resource for the transaction. If you're unsure whether a past agreement is still in effect, contact Bryan and he'll help you sort it out before anything moves forward.
Who writes the contract in a For Sale By Owner deal in Kansas?
In Kansas, a licensed real estate broker can prepare the sales contract and assist both parties to closing without being an agent or advocate for either side. Once you and the other party have already agreed on the general terms, price, closing date, and what stays with the house, Bryan can put the agreement into a proper Kansas sales contract and coordinate the steps to closing. Many FSBO deals fall apart between the handshake and the closing table; this service exists to keep yours together.
Is Bryan representing me if he writes our FSBO contract?
No, and that is the point. Under the Kansas Brokerage Relationships in Real Estate Transactions Act, Bryan assists both parties as a neutral, without being an agent or advocate for the interests of either one. He does not negotiate for either side; you and the other party negotiate your own deal first, and Bryan documents it correctly and guides the process. Everything is disclosed and agreed in writing before any work begins.
What does the FSBO contract-help service cost?
Fees for this service are not set by law and are fully negotiable. As a guideline, plan on approximately 1.5% of the sale price, though the fee can vary with the type of property and the amount of time and coordination the transaction needs, a simple single-family sale is less work than a multi-unit investment property with tenants and leases. Whatever is agreed is put in writing before any work begins. Compare that with what the service protects: a correctly written contract, complete disclosures, coordinated inspections and title work, and a closing that actually closes.
What is a Seller's Property Condition Disclosure and do we need one?
It is the form where the seller discloses what they know about the property's condition, roof, foundation, systems, past repairs, and known defects. Kansas practice strongly favors a written disclosure in every residential sale, and buyers' lenders and title companies expect it. Bryan provides the disclosure form as part of the process, along with the other forms a smooth Kansas closing calls for.
How much earnest money should a FSBO deal use?
Typically 1% to 5% of the sale price, held in escrow, commonly with the title company. For a seller taking their home off the market for a pending sale, $5,000 or more is the recommended level, enough that the buyer is genuinely committed. The contract spells out exactly when the deposit is refundable and when it is not.
Do we still need inspections in a FSBO sale?
Strongly recommended. A typical Kansas contract gives the buyer an inspection period (often 10 days) to inspect and raise any concerns. Bryan can guide the inspection logistics and the paperwork around whatever the parties decide, so a surprise at the house doesn't become a surprise at closing.
Start Your FSBO Contract Request
Fill in whatever you and the other party have agreed to so far, every field except your contact info is optional, and Bryan will follow up to confirm details and explain the written service agreement. Nothing is binding until the contract both parties sign.
Reminder: this service is only available when the property is not listed with any brokerage and neither party has a buyer or seller agreement with any broker.
Related reading: Estimate of Seller Proceeds · Estimate of Buyer Costs & Payment · Closing Costs Guide · Realtor Fees & Commissions
Written by Bryan Hedges, President/Broker, Realty Executives - Hedges Real Estate
Bryan is a licensed Kansas real estate broker and lifelong Lawrence resident who has helped local buyers, sellers, and investors since 1993. He owns and manages Lawrence rental property himself, so the numbers in these guides come from real transactions, not national averages.
Have a handshake deal that needs paper?
Send Bryan the terms, or ask a question first. Everything is explained and agreed in writing before any work begins.
Prefer the phone?