Orchard helps reduce a lot of the friction of buying and selling a house at the same time. Its signature Move First program advances you a portion of your current home equity, so you can make an offer on a new house without it being contingent on your old house selling — a huge benefit in a competitive market.
Once you secure a new home, you work with an Orchard agent to sell your current one. If you don't sell within the designated listing period, you can extend for a fee or sell directly to one of Orchard's partners — meaning you avoid the risk of carrying two mortgages indefinitely. However, the backup offer won't be for full market value.
To take advantage of Orchard's Move First program, you'll pay program fees of 1.9–2.4% on top of the usual selling costs. Orchard also requires you to work with its agents to sell your home, charging an additional3% listing fee. You'll also pay a 3% buyer's agent fee if you work with Orchard to purchase your next home, but you're free to choose a buyer's agent from another brokerage.[1]
Before signing anything with Orchard, we recommend exploring a few competitors — including other buy-before-you-sell programs that let you choose your own agent. Customer reviews show mixed experiences with Orchard agents, and working with a brokerage that offers more competitive commission rates can go a long way toward offsetting the costs of this type of program.
Orchard at a glance
⭐ Customer rating: 4.06/5 (823 reviews)
🤝 How it works: Unlock equity to make a down payment on a new house; get a backup cash offer to bypass the home sale contingency
💰 Fees: 1.9–2.4% program fee, plus 3% in brokerage fees (6% if you also buy with Orchard)
🚦 Eligibility criteria: Single-family homes within Orchard’s approved home value range; minimum credit score of 620.[1]
🌎 Locations: Select markets in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, TN, TX, WA
Why Orchard might work for you:
✅ Buy before you sell = less stress — Orchard’s Move‑First program lets you purchase a new home before selling, without a home sale contingency, temporary housing, or simultaneous mortgage payments.
✅ Concierge service helps with home prep — For homes that could use some updating prior to listing, Orchard's Concierge Service can help you make the necessary improvements at no upfront cost. Orchard's team manages the work with its vendors and you can pay them back out of your equity loan or at closing.
✅ Guaranteed offer provides a backup plan — If your home hasn’t sold by the end of the listing period, you can choose to extend or sell to the bridge loan provider. For some sellers, the backup offer creates peace of mind, even if you don't end up needing it.
Why Orchard might not be your best option:
⚠️ High combined fees — Sellers pay a 1.9–2.4% program fee for Move First, plus brokerage fees of up to 6% (3% for selling, 3% for buying), resulting in overall fees of around 8–9% of the sale price, on top of typical closing costs.
⚠️ Additional fees for extending the listing period— If your home doesn't sell within 120 day listing period, you'll have to pay to extend the listing. Extension fees range from 1.2% (for 60 days) to 2–2.5% (for 90 days), depending on your loan provider — meaning a slow sale can get expensive fast. Alternatively, you can sell to one of Orchard's buying partners — but you're unlikely to get your listing price.
⚠️ No choice of listing agent — When you work with Orchard, you must use one of its in-house agents to sell your home. (You can use your own agent to buy your next one.) Other buy-before-you-sell options offer the flexibility to choose your listing own agent, which could help you save on costs and give you a better outcome — especially if you opt for a brokerage that charges a lower commission rate than Orchard.
⚠️ Mixed experiences with Orchard agents — Many sellers have positive experiences with Orchard agents, but others report that the agents assigned to them lived far outside their market, lacked communication, and didn't put in much effort to sell their homes.
⚠️ Concierge services may be overpriced — Orchard uses their own contractors for its concierge service, which some customers said inflated the costs of repairs and home improvements.
Orchard vs. competitors
Orchard’s main competitors include other buy-before-you-sell services, iBuyer companies, and cash offer networks, which help you explore a variety of options for getting cash offers.
The following Orchard competitors are also highly rated and may provide more flexibility or lower fees.
» MORE: Want to find more cash offer options near you? Check out our guide to the best companies that buy houses for cash.
Orchard vs. a realtor
One of the biggest drawbacks of working with Orchard is the inability to choose your own listing agent, which can make a huge difference in both the speed and financial outcome of your home sale.
True, most traditional agents can’t provide a guaranteed backup offer on your home or front you the money for repairs. However, many will submit your home to iBuyers like Offerpad and Opendoor if you are interested in pursuing a backup cash offer. They can also help you explore alternatives like Knock, without being committed to any one solution.
Just as importantly, an unbiased realtor can also guide you on what improvements are going to move the needle with buyers and recommend local contractors to complete the work — without the potential conflict of interest that comes from using Orchard's Concierge Service.
If you work with a traditional real estate agent to sell your home, you’ll usually have to pay a 2.5–3% listing fee, and likely another 2.5–3% concession to cover the buyer’s agent fee. However, a growing number of reputable brokerages offer lower commission rates, helping you keep more money in your pocket.
Orchard reviews: What customers have to say
| Source | Average Rating | Review Count |
|---|---|---|
| BBB | 3.3/5 | 40 |
| Trustpilot | 4.1/5 | 783 |
| Weighted Average: | 4.1/5 | 823 |
Orchard maintains an average customer rating of 4.06/5 across 823 reviews from Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau.
While many people are happy with their experience, not all reviews are positive. Negative reviews largely focus on communication issues and being matched with inexperienced agents.
Here are some common themes we see from home sellers.
Positive themes from Orchard reviews
✅ Makes the process of buying and selling a home easier
Several positive reviewers highlighted how the equity advance through Orchard’s Move First program allowed them to buy first before selling and simplified the process.
We bought our new home with Orchard’s Move First Program and it made it so easy! They fronted us the equity in our existing home to buy the new home. It was an interest-free loan. Once we moved out of our house that we were selling, we then listed it with Orchard for sale and sold through them again making it extremely easy without having to worry about keeping the house clean for showings, etc. I would highly recommend Orchard to anybody who wants to avoid the stress of showings, keeping your house clean, and trying to coordinate a move all at one time.
Several positive reviews appreciated the ease of Orchard’s process and how it made buying and moving before selling easier and less stressful.
Orchard relieved a lot of the stress with buying and selling a home. The greatest part was getting the equity advance which enabled us to purchase another home while our home was on the market. Our home sold above the initial offer and we received additional proceeds at closing. The Orchard team was fantastic and did everything they said they would do.
✅ Responsive and helpful throughout the process
Some home sellers clearly have positive experiences with their Orchard agents, noting they made a complex transaction much easier.
Ashley did a great job assisting us through the process. The whole team at Orchard did a wonderful job. Ours was not the easiest purchase and sale but the team at Orchard did everything in their power to make it as smooth and easy for us to get our dream home in Tennessee and sell our home in Texas.
Other customers felt that Orchard’s customer service representatives did a good job of helping make the process clear and stress-free.
Smooth from start to finish and everyone involved through the entire process was knowledgeable, courteous and responsive!! They made a very stressful process much smoother and less stressful. I highly recommend!
Orchard complaints
❌ Inexperienced or disinterested agents
Several negative reviews focused on problems with their agent, including a lack of communication and fees that weren't fully explained upfront.
"There was very little communication during the listing, I had to contact the realtor every time to ask her what was going on, a lot of the fees were not explained correctly to me upfront, I was overcharged for things like lawn maintenance and utility bills after I moved out...I felt so alone most of the time without any information which is different than a normal realtor client situation. The only convenient part was that I was able to move out and purchase my other home before we listed my home but It ultimately cost me money."
Other customers felt like their agent wasn't invested in helping them sell their home, leaving them feeling ignored and costing them dearly as the costs of carrying two homes added up.
"We were given comps and we listed under value so that we could sell quickly as we were leaving the state for a job and didn't want to duplicate our living expenses. My realtor said this wouldn't be a problem. So we left our home in her care...Any time I asked for an update, she would tell me to drop the price and desperately we did, time and time again. She literally did not even try to get this house sold. We ended up selling for less than we owed, but the real estate agent still made her 10k off the deal. I will literally never recommend Orchard."
Having an agent who can advocate for and guide you through the complex selling and buying process is essential. Unfortunately, you can’t choose which Orchard agent is assigned to you.
❌ Misrepresented services
Some reviewers felt pushed into using Orchard's services or that the services themselves were misrepresented as a way for the company to earn business.
She gave a very polished and convincing introduction, promising high investor offers and claiming her investors typically paid top dollar. Unfortunately, the reality was different. The offers we received were significantly lower than what she had led us to expect. Most concerning was that the offers stated the buyer would cover the closing costs and title policy - but in the end, we ended up paying the closing costs ourselves....t felt like A*** R*** prioritized her own convenience and commission over our best interests.
After signing, we were handed off to Homelight for the so-called equity advance...Orchard and Homelight promote a streamlined process, but in reality, they don't communicate at all. Critical financial information, including how the advance impacts your debt-to-income ratio, is unclear until late in the process. Despite their promise of a "non-contingent" offer, your existing mortgage remains in second lien, which may still count against your DTI something we didnt discover until it almost jeopardized our purchase.The advance itself is based on Orchards own lowball home valuation.
Another reviewer shared that his initial offer was based on Zillow but then later was told he would only get 85% of the initial quote.
How does Orchard work?
Move First | List with Orchard | Cash Offer Marketplace
Orchard offers three main services for home buyers and sellers: Move First, List with Orchard, and Buy & List. Customers who opt for any of these options can also take advantage of additional services from Orchard, such as their Concierge service.
Move First
Orchard's flagship Move First program allows you to buy your new home and move in before selling your current home. Orchard will work to sell your home, and you'll receive any additional proceeds from the sale, minus Orchard's fees and expenses.
- Assess your home equity. Start by submitting basic information about your home (such as its age and address) online.
- Access your equity. Based on the results of your initial home value estimate and your current home equity, Orchard's partner lender (currently HomeLight) will advance you a portion of your home equity — minus what you still owe on the mortgage — through an interest-free 'equity advance.' This equity can be used for a down payment on your next home and to cover your existing mortgage for up to four months.[2]
- Purchase and move into your new home. You can buy a new home and move in right away! Orchard will use part of your equity loan to cover mortgage payments on your old home until it sells. When you close on your new home, you must be completely moved out of your old home, though you'll need to continue maintaining utilities and yard upkeep.
- Prep and list your old home. Orchard will take care of repairs, staging and any other prep work needed to list your home at a mutually agreed-upon price (which may be higher than the initial guaranteed offer). An Orchard agent will act as your listing agent. After your old home sells, your new home's title will be transferred to you.
- Settle your bill. You'll receive the profits from your old home's sale, minus your overlapping mortgage payments and Orchard's fees and expenses. Expect to pay approximately 8–9% directly to Orchard, including a program fee of 1.9–2,4%, plus up to 6% in brokerage fees to buy and sell.
The company states that most homes sell within 120 days of listing. During this period, if your home isn't selling, Orchard's pricing team may recommend price adjustments. If your home hasn't sold within 120 days of listing, Orchard will pay you the initial guaranteed offer amount.
List with Orchard
If you only need to sell — or are buying outside of Orchard's service area — you can use List with Orchard.
The process is the same as working with a real estate agent, but with some additional perks like home preparations that not all agents provide.
- Complete a home assessment. Orchard uses the information you submit to run a home assessment, determine if your home qualifies for its program, and to calculate the best listing price.
- Let Orchard prep and list your home. Orchard's listing package includes up to $1,000 of prep work, including a 3D tour, staging, and cleaning. Additional repair costs will be deducted from the profits of the sale.
- Close the deal. An Orchard agent will market your home. Once you accept an offer, your agent will help coordinate your closing. A closing officer from the title company will also walk you through the closing process. Orchard states most closing take 30-45 days on average.
Cash Offer Marketplace
Orchard's Cash Offer Marketplace lets you compare offers from major cash buyers like Offerpad, Opendoor, and Homeward, as well as hundreds of local investors through Orchard's Private Investor Network — with the guidance of an Orchard agent.[1]
With partners like Homeward, you can unlock as much as 84% of your home value upfront — giving you more leverage than the equity advance — then list for additional upside.
The downside is the cost. You'll pay as much as 7% in service fees to Orchard's buying partners, in addition to Orchard's brokerage fees. On a home worth $600,000, you could end up paying as much as $78,000 just in fees to buy and sell.
It's worth noting that there's typically no need to work with an agent when selling to an iBuyer. If you're in a time crunch and considering the cash offer route, you can source offers directly from top iBuyers and then use their offer as a backup while testing the waters with a traditional listing.
Other Orchard services
FastTrack: Orchard's FastTrack Offers program combines expert pricing, pre-listing marketing, and a strategic showing window to generate buyer demand with a goal of delivering a full market value offer in under 10 days. There is no fee difference between FastTrack and a traditional listing — and if your home doesn't sell within the 10-day window, the listing continues on as a standard listing. FastTrack works best for homes where the agent has strong price confidence. More niche or unique properties are less likely to be a good fit."Your agent will determine whether your home is a good candidate.[3]
Orchard Concierge: This service provides funding to help you pay for home repairs prior to listing your house. It can be added to any Orchard program. Concierge costs can be paid through equity advance funds, partner financing with repayment at closing, or upfront. Not all repairs are covered by this service, and Orchard chooses the contractors you’ll work with. The Renovation Lead will review a breakdown of all costs before work begins, so there are no surprises.
Orchard Title: Orchard Title partners with third-party vendors (including First American and Fidelity National Title Insurance) to provide customers with title insurance, property searches, and settlement and escrow services.[4]
Orchard Home Loans: Orchard Home Loans is Orchard's mortgage lending solution. However, its origination fee ranges from 0–3% — potentially adding up to much more than the typical 0.5–1%.[5] However, if you use Orchard Mortgage for your new home loan, you may have the option to refinance every six months with only a filing fee, which can be helpful if interest rates improve.
Orchard used to have a service, Offer Boost, that allowed you to turn your offer into an all-cash offer. However, this program appears to have been discontinued at this time.
How much is Orchard's guaranteed offer?
According to company reps, backup offer terms vary by provider, so the exact amount won't be known until you request that option. However, it may be significantly less than your listing price. For example, in a Trustpilot review for Orchard, home seller Steve L. claimed "their 'guaranteed cash offer' was extremely lowball, at $130,000 less than what we put the house on the market for."[6]
Your home's condition, its features, and the state of the local market will all affect your backup offer amount. However, it's unlikely you'll have to accept Orchard's backup offer.
Most homes sold through Orchard are listed and sold on the open market with the help of an Orchard partner agent. According to company rep Christine Menchaca, Orchard sellers achieved an average sale-to-list price ratio of 96% in 2025.[3] The guaranteed backup offer only kicks in if your home doesn’t sell within the company’s 4-month listing period. Orchard claims that the average customer sells their home on the open market for $30,000–69,000 more than the guaranteed offer.[7] However, some customers complain of lackluster service from Orchard’s listing agents, causing their homes to sit on the market while the company’s listing period lapses.
Orchard fees and other costs
| Move First | 1.9–2.4% |
| Cash Offer Marketplace | Varies by partner, up to 7% |
| Brokerage fees | Up to 6% |
| Closing costs | 1%* |
| Concierge service | Varies |
To take advantage of Orchard's equity advance, you'll pay a program fee of 1.9–2.4%, plus a 3% listing fee to sell your current home. Orchard's brokerage fees are fairly standard for real estate agent commissions. However, you don't have the ability to choose your own agent when selling through Orchard (only when buying).
If you opt out of the equity advance and instead decide to list with Orchard using their cash offer as a backup, you'll pay only the brokerage fees. You'll also be responsible for traditional closing costs of approximately 1%.
As an add-on service for home sellers, Orchard offers a separate "Concierge Service" that can be used to make minor repairs and improvements to your home before listing. The company recommends repairs and manages the work. Concierge costs can be paid through equity advance funds, through Orchard's financing partner Notable (with repayment at closing), or upfront.[1]
Orchard’s fees can add up, so you need to decide if the convenience is worth it for you. The company’s fees are similar to those of other home trade-in companies like Knock. But they're higher than those of iBuyer companies or realtors — especially from some of the top brokerages offering lower commission rate.
How much does Orchard charge for repairs?
You can make repairs to your home before listing by using Orchard’s Concierge program. There is no upfront cost, but you will eventually have to repay the costs of any improvements — either out of your equity advance or out of the proceeds from your home sale.
Not all repairs are covered by this program, and Orchard chooses the contractors. The program typically pays for the most common issues, like exterior and interior painting, new flooring, and minor repairs to roofing, plumbing, electrical issues, and HVAC.
Who is eligible for Orchard's Move First program?
Your home may be eligible for Orchard’s programs if it is:
- A single-family home (including a condo or townhome)
- Not currently listed on the market
- Located in one of Orchard’s service areas
- Within Orchard’s approved home value range
To qualify for Move First, your home must be a single-family residence (including condos and townhomes) valued between $150,000 and $2,000,000 and not currently listed on the market. Your home must also be located in one of Orchard's service areas.[1]
Applicants must also meet minimum credit score requirements, which vary by partner.
Where is Orchard available?
Orchard's Move First program is currently available in the following metropolitan areas: Phoenix, AZ, San Diego, CA, Denver, CO, Orlando, FL, Tampa Bay, FL, Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN, Austin, TX, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, Houston, TX, San Antonio, TX, Seattle, WA
Orchard agents can also help you buy a new home in the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, KS, LA, MI, NC, NM, OH, OR, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, and WA.
Is Orchard legitimate?
Yes, Orchard is a legitimate real estate company that helps customers buy and sell homes. The company’s signature Move First program allows you to purchase a new home and move before your old one sells — using your home’s equity so you can make a competitive offer on a new house.
Originally founded in 2017 as Perch, the company changed its name to Orchard in early 2020. According to a company rep we spoke to, Orchard has helped over 12,000 customers buy or sell a home and moved more than $5B in real estate nationwide.
In 2025, Orchard announced its expansion into four new markets, including Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, and Seattle.[8]
The company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.[9] It also has 823 reviews on 3rd party review sites like Google and Trustpilot.
Bottom line: Is Orchard right for you?
Orchard can work well for you if you're trying to buy a new house while also selling. Its Move First program can help you:
- Avoid having to pay overlapping mortgages, perfectly line up closing dates, or find a temporary place to stay
- Skip the hassle of living in a house while also showing it
- Purchase a home in a competitive market, where a home sale contingency could be a deal breaker
Orchard's equity advance and purchase guarantee can be used to make a non-contingent offer on a new house. It can also cover the costs of any home improvements you need to make prior to listing your current house, such as fresh paint, flooring repairs, and minor repairs to your HVAC and other systems.
Another benefit of Orchard's Move First program is that Orchard will buy your home if it doesn’t sell on the market within 4 months — albeit for less than market value.
While Orchard eases the process of buying and selling, the convenience comes at a cost.
- Orchard charges a 1.9–2.4% program fee, plus brokerage fees (3% for selling, 3% for buying)
- It also requires you to work with its team of agents to sell your current house, which some sellers have been less than happy with.
If you're concerned about the risks and expense of using Orchard, ask a trusted local agent for a second opinion. They may be able to suggest a better alternative.
Get a better agent at a better rate. With Clever Real Estate, you get a pre-negotiated commission rate of just 1.5% with top local listing agents from around the country. Answer a few quick questions about your home sale, and get agent matches sent straight to your inbox — no added fees or obligation.
Frequently asked questions
What is Orchard Real Estate?
Orchard provides real estate solutions to simplify the process of buying and selling a home. Orchard's Move First program helps homeowners with financing to buy a new home before they sell their current one. Additional services offered by Orchard include List with Orchard, Orchard Home Loans, and Orchard Title.
Is Orchard a good real estate company?
Yes, many home sellers have had positive experiences with Orchard. Its Move First program can advance you a portion of your equity to secure a new house before you sell and make pre-listing improvements that boost your home's appeal among prospective buyers.
Are Orchard and Opendoor the same company?
No, Orchard and Opendoor are separate companies with distinct business models. Opendoor is an iBuyer that purchases homes for cash and offers home sellers flexible closing dates. Orchard helps home sellers finance a new home before they sell their old one by advancing them a portion of their home equity.
Related links
About our reviews
Our company reviews are powered by hundreds of hours of research. To evaluate and rank buy-before-you-sell companies, we analyzed thousands of customer reviews, secret-shopped each company, and looked to publicly available data for indicators of product quality, customer service, fees vs. value provided, trustworthiness, and more. Whenever possible, we also talked to customers, company reps, and industry professionals (such as real estate agents) who've had direct experience working with the brand.