Companies that make instant offers | Why compare options? | Selling with an agent | FAQs
If you want to sell your house fast for cash, you can sell to a home buying company like a We Buy Houses firm or an iBuyer. You’ll usually get an offer within 24 hours, and you can close in less than two weeks (in most cases) — but there’s a catch.
These companies don’t pay top dollar for houses. Offers from iBuyers like Offerpad and Opendoor are competitive (sometimes just 1%–2% lower than open market offers) but they’re only available in select major metros. Offers from We Buy Houses companies are always low (as low as 50% of the home’s resale value).
By comparison, selling on the open market might only take a few weeks and you’ll likely net more money in the end, even if you have to pay commission to a realtor.
You can even get cash offers on the open market, but you should really only prioritize a cash offer for two reasons:
- You’re trying to sell a distressed property that won’t qualify for traditional financing.
- You’re in a situation where you absolutely need to sell in less than two weeks.
» Jump to: Compare your options
We recommend working with our friends at Clever Real Estate to compare your options. With Clever Offers, you’ll have an agent by your side to present you with cash offers AND give you a FREE home valuation.
6 companies that can help you sell your house fast for cash
1. Offerpad
Fast closing
- 5% service fee
- Close in just 8 days
- Great customer service
Offerpad can provide home sellers with a fast cash offer and quick closing (as little as eight days!). We noticed that most recent Offerpad reviews are positive, with home sellers noting that Offerpad reps were friendly and helpful throughout the selling process.
Pros
- Close in just eight days
- No need to repair or prep home
- Extended stay option for home sellers
Cons
- Some customers report high repair costs that reduced their final offer
- Free local moves are only available within a 50-mile radius
Offerpad is available in 25 metro areas across AL, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IN, KS, MO, NV, NC, OH, SC, TN, TX.
Customer reviews of Offerpad are mostly positive, with an average rate of 3.7 across 319 reviews.
2. Opendoor
Best tech
- 5% service fee
- Available in 40+ cities
- Close in 14 days
In comparison to other iBuyers, Opendoor offers the best value because the fees are capped at 5% and they pay close to fair market value for homes. Sellers should be aware that Opendoor deducts repair costs from their final offer, and the company no longer allows home sellers to handle repairs on their own.
Pros
- Free, no-obligation offer
- Close in as little as 14 days, or longer if you need it
- Available in 47 markets and continuing to expand
Cons
- No control over repair costs
- Strict criteria for purchasing homes (no structural damage, no homes pre-1930, etc.)
Opendoor is currently available in 47 major markets in AL, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, IN, MN, MO, NV, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA.
Customer reviews of Opendoor are mostly positive, with an average rating of
4.3 across 2,733 reviews.
3. RedfinNow
As-is iBuyer
- Fees from 5-13%
- Close in 10 days
- Buys vacant or owner-occupied houses
Redfin Now can provide home sellers in select markets with a fast, predictable sale. Unlike most iBuyers, RedfinNow even buys vacant homes, which could be good news for sellers in difficult situations. However, the high service fees and additional closing costs could be expensive.
Pros
- Purchases homes as is, with broder eligibilty criteria than most iBuyers
- Flexible closing window of 10-90 days
Cons
- Fees can be as high as 13%
- No home trade-in incentive
- No late checkout option
RedfinNow is available in metro areas across .
Because Redfin Now is the smallest iBuyer, reviews of the service aren’t widely available. However, across 2,733 reviews the company has an average rating ofm4.3 out of 5.
4. We Buy Ugly Houses
National Coverage
- Offer in 24-48 hours
- Close in 3 weeks
- No closing costs
We Buy Ugly Houses is a national brand that’s been in the business for over 20 years, so the business’s reputation and processes for buying homes are well established. However, because We Buy Ugly Houses operates on a franchise model, the quality of the service that you receive could vary depending on your location.
Home sellers who choose to sell to We Buy Ugly Houses can expect to get far less than fair market value for their property, but the company can close in as little as three weeks.
Pros
- Get an offer in 24 to 48 hours
- Close in as little as three weeks
- No need to prep home for listing or worry about repairs
Cons
- Pays less than what sellers could net on the open market
- Quality of service varies between franchises
We Buy Ugly Houses has over 800 franchises across 46 states.
5. We Buy Houses
Fastest closing
- Offer in 24-48 hours
- Close in 7 days
- No closing costs
We Buy Houses has numerous positive reviews from customers, and the brand carefully vets real estate investors who want to obtain a license. They’re also able to close in just seven days, which is faster than most cash buyer companies.
Although We Buy Houses investors won’t pay what you’d get on the open market, working with one is more likely to be successful than if you were to try and find a local real estate investor on your own.
Pros
- Get an offer in 24 to 48 hours.
- Carefully vetted real estate investors.
- Close in just seven days.
Cons
- Little to no room for negotiation once an offer has been made.
- Investors have some freedom to price homes in a way that they see fit, so offers may be better in some regions than others.
- Pays less than fair market value for homes.
We Buy Houses has over 2,700 offices across 49 states.
6. Sundae
Investor Marketplace
- Compare cash offers
- Designed for distressed properties
- Fast closing with no service fees
If you’re looking for a cash offer from a real estate investor, Sundae offers a unique marketplace where pre-vetted investors can bid on your property. Compared to other cash buyer companies, Sundae’s model creates competition that may lead to a better sale price — though cash offers will almost always be lower than offers from the open market.
Pros
- Work with pre-vetted investors. You don’t have to worry about whether a random cash buyer has the funds to purchase your home — before an investor joins the marketplace, Sundae vets their credentials.
- Receive multiple offers. Sundae’s marketplace allows multiple investors to bid on your property. According to Sundae, the average seller receives around 10 bids, with a price range averaging around $71,000 between the lowest and highest offers.
- Skip repairs. Since Sundae’s marketplace is built for investors who are prepared to buy homes in as is condition, you don’t have to worry about making any changes to your home or cleaning it out.
- Get a cash advance. Sundae provides a $10,000 cash advance to sellers to help with any expenses before or during closing.
Cons
- Offers may be less than fair market value. The offers you receive through Sundae will likely be less than the fair market value of your home (which is typical across most cash buyer companies).
- Eligible locations are limited. You can only use Sundae’s services in several California cities, as well as the Tampa and Atlanta metro areas.
Sundae mainly operates in California — specifically in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego counties, as well as the Sacramento metropolitan area.
The company is continuing to expand into new locations, most recently the Tampa, FL, and Atlanta, GA, metro areas.
Also consider: home trade-in services
Home trade-in services make it easy to buy a new home before you sell your old one.
If you need to buy but can’t qualify for a conventional loan before your old home sells, you can get pre-qualified with a trade-in service like Orchard or Knock.
How home trade-in services work
- The trade-in service fronts the cash for you.
- You move into your new home and the company lists your old home.
- You settle up when your old home sells.
» Read our reviews: Knock | Orchard
Why you need to compare your options
Even if you need to sell fast for cash, it’s worth slowing down to evaluate your options. Choosing too quickly could mean leaving a lot of money on the table.
You might be determined to sell for cash, but unless you’re selling a distressed property that won’t qualify for conventional financing, it makes sense to consider every offer — cash or not.
It’s a myth that financed offers frequently fall through
According to a recent study from the National Association of Realtors, only 5% of sales with contingent offers fall through. Of that 5%, only a small portion fail because the buyer can’t get financing.
Technically, your real estate agent can specify in your listing that you’re only interested in cash offers, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense. The agent will probably spend a lot of time handling inquiries from qualified buyers who want to know if it’s really a cash-only sale, all the while turning away legitimate buyers who might make a higher offer.
How to compare cash buyers to a traditional sale
Most iBuyers and cash buyer companies can provide a free, no-obligation cash offer within 24–48 hours of getting your name, address, and a brief description of your home.
You should request multiple offers from different companies, then speak to an experienced real estate agent. A real estate agent may be able to help you get an all-cash sale on the open market.
At the very least, an agent can provide several things:
- A free consultation that includes comparing your home to others in your area to determine its worth
- An estimate of how quickly your home might sell, based on recent local sales
Armed with this information, you’ll be able to choose the option that gives you the best combination of speed and value.
How We Buy Houses companies, iBuyers, and traditional sales compare
- Cash buyer companies move fast, but don’t pay much
- iBuyers are fast and competitive, but not an option for many
- Listing with an agent nets the most money
Cash buyer / “We Buy Houses” companies
There are a couple of benefits of selling your home to a cash buyer company:
- They move faster than a retail buyer that needs conventional financing.
- There’s less risk of the deal falling through than selling with a real estate agent.
By comparison, individual cash buyers who aren’t affiliated with a company are less likely to follow standards that protect you as a home seller, such as:
- Never charging upfront fees
- Explaining how your offer was calculated
Selling to an investor or flipper for cash is a fast, no-hassle process. The deal can close in as few as one to two weeks, and you don’t have to worry about repairs or closing costs.
The catch? You’ll only get 50–70% of your home’s fair market value at most. Your home could sell for tens of thousands of dollars more on the open market. For example, an investor might only pay $75,000 for a home that has the potential to fetch $150,000 on the open market.
Still, a cash buyer might be a good option — or possibly your only option — if your home is in poor condition. Homes in need of significant repairs are usually out of reach for the average buyer, as most lenders won’t write loans on properties with major defects.
» MORE: Are “We Buy Houses” Companies a Ripoff?
iBuyers
iBuyers offer the best of both worlds: They pay closer to fair market value than cash buyer companies, and they allow you to sell almost instantly, or on your own timeline.
You might not get the highest possible price when you sell to an iBuyer, but the offers are still reasonable if you want a quick, hassle-free sale and don’t mind leaving a little money on the table. Offers from iBuyers increase or decrease based on market conditions, but at the end of 2021 when homes were selling quickly, iBuyers paid an average of 99.4% of fair market value.
Most iBuyers deduct money from their final offer to cover repairs (1–2%, but it varies by home) and service fees (5% or more), but this means you can sell without having to prep your home first.
Selling to iBuyers comes with restrictions, so they’re not a viable option for most home sellers:
- They’re only available in 30–40 cities.
- They have strict criteria for homes they’ll purchase, so anything built before 1930 or in poor condition probably won’t qualify for an offer.
Essentially, iBuyers work best for sellers whose homes are market-ready or only need a few cosmetic updates to get there.
» MORE: What Is An iBuyer? How iBuying Works, And More!
Listing on the open market is the best deal
Even though listing with an agent on the open market is usually a bit slower than selling to an iBuyer or investor, it has potential to yield the highest sale price.
Real estate agents price houses competitively based on comparable local sales to help sellers get maximum value for their homes.
A local agent can also estimate a selling time based on market conditions in your region and the type of home you’re selling.
While the typical national selling time is 10.7 days, timelines are quicker in some cities. For example:
- Washington, D.C.: 9.1 days
- Atlanta: 9.2 days
- Boston: 8.4 days
Even if you’re certain you want to sell to a cash buyer, you have a couple of paths:
- List your home “as is,” with the help of an agent, which tends to attract real estate investors
- Work with an agent who has connections with house flippers and landlords looking for new deals
FAQs
What is the fastest way to sell my house?
One of the fastest ways to sell your house is to request an offer from a home buying company like an iBuyer or a We Buy Houses company. You can usually get an offer in 24 hours and close in less than two weeks, but you won't get as much money as you would listing your home with an agent.
You should compare your options before you accept a cash offer.
What is the secret to a fast property sale?
There's no secret to selling a property quickly — but a good real estate agent can help you get a quick sale by:
- Pricing your home competitively based on other recent sales in your neighborhood
- Telling you what the highest impact home improvements might be
- Hosting an open house to attract more buyers
Alternatively, you could sell your home directly to a company that buys houses — but you probably won't make as much money since these companies buy and resell homes to make a profit.
Sources
1. National Association of Realtors, Realtor Confidence Index, October, 2021, https://cdn.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/2021-10-realtors-confidence-index-12-06-2021.pdf
2. Zavvie, Seller Preferences Report: Q4 2021, https://zavvie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Q4-21-Seller-Preferences-Report-3.pdf
Related links
Want to learn more about selling your house quickly? Check out these resources.
The best iBuyer Companies in 2022: iBuyers offer home sellers a chance to sell on their own timeline with minimal hassle. Learn more about the leading iBuyers, and how they compare to each other.
We Buy Houses For Cash Companies: Are “We Buy Houses” companies a scam or a legitimate selling option? Find out how they work, what to watch out for, and which companies stand out in our list.
How Can I Sell My House Fast Without Losing Money? Find out how to sell your home quickly without losing money, and learn the most important steps in a typical home sale.
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