Is that true if you sell your home yourself? I've never bought a home, but I know I can transfer a title to a vehicle without forfeiting anything beyond the sales tax and the $50 title fee. Is there no way to sell/buy real estate directly like that using cash transactions direct between parties?

No, I misspoke by saying “every single person.” It’s true that direct off-market sales can avoid paying realtors and two parties agree amongst themselves. Depending on jurisdiction it’s around $2k for all the title transfer, notary, and other fees. But this is quite uncommon.

It’s only uncommon because people know they can get higher bids in the open market, and use a broker to facilitate deals. If housing prices weren’t always going up, that could change.