Your options
Cash offer, agent listing, or iBuyer?
We sell one of these three things, so read this with appropriate scepticism — and then check every number in it, because they all hold up.
Listing with an agent produces the highest gross price and takes the longest, typically 45 to 75 days plus prep, and costs 7–9% in commissions and closing costs. A cash buyer produces a lower gross price but no fees, no repairs and a 7 to 21 day close. A national iBuyer sits in between on price and charges a service fee. Which one nets you the most depends almost entirely on the condition of your house and how long you can afford to wait.
| Selling to us (cash) | Listing with an agent | National iBuyer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to a firm price | Within 24 hours of seeing the property | 30–60 days of showings before a solid offer | 24–48 hours, then often revised after inspection |
| Typical days to close | 7–21 days, or any date you pick | 45–75 days including loan underwriting | 14–60 days |
| Repairs and cleanout | None — leave what you don't want | Usually required to compete | Repair credits deducted after inspection |
| Showings and open houses | None | 10–30+ strangers through your home | None |
| Agent commission | $0 | 5–6% of the sale price | $0 commission, 5%+ service fee |
| Closing costs | We pay standard seller closing costs | Seller pays 1–2% | Deducted from proceeds |
| Financing falling through | No lender involved | Roughly 1 in 15 escrows fall apart | No lender involved |
| Price you receive | Below retail — see the math | Highest gross price | Below retail, minus fees |
The comparison people actually get wrong
Sellers compare a list price against a cash offer and conclude the listing wins by a hundred thousand dollars. That comparison is between a gross number and a net number, which is not a comparison at all.
Here is a fair version. Take a dated San Diego house that would list at $850,000 after $60,000 of prep work, or sell for $610,000 cash today.
| List with an agent | Sell for cash | |
|---|---|---|
| Sale price | $850,000 | $610,000 |
| Pre-sale repairs and prep | −$60,000 | $0 |
| Agent commissions (≈5%) | −$42,500 | $0 |
| Seller closing costs (≈1.5%) | −$12,750 | $0 |
| Carrying costs while it sells (4 months) | −$18,000 | −$1,500 |
| Buyer repair credits after inspection | −$8,000 | $0 |
| Approximate net | $708,750 | $608,500 |
In that example the listing still wins by about $100,000, and we would tell that seller to list. That is the honest outcome for a house where the prep work is modest and the seller can wait four months.
Now change two things — the house needs $180,000 of work rather than $60,000, and the seller cannot fund it. The listing path collapses: without the work the house does not list at $850,000, it lists at something closer to $640,000 and attracts investor offers anyway, minus commissions, minus carrying costs, minus the inspection renegotiation. That is the seller for whom the cash number is genuinely competitive.
Where each option actually wins
List with an agent when…
- The house is in good condition, or the work needed is cosmetic and you can fund it
- You have 60 to 90 days and nothing forcing your hand
- You can live with showings, or the house is already vacant and clean
- Nothing complicates the title, the ownership or the occupancy
Sell to a cash buyer when…
- The house needs real work that you cannot or will not fund
- A date matters — a relocation, a trustee's sale, a purchase already in escrow
- There are tenants, a probate, a divorce, or a house full of belongings
- You have already tried listing and it fell out of escrow
- You value certainty and a single decision over the last few percent of price
Consider a national iBuyer when…
- Your house is newer, uniform and in a tract where automated valuation works well
- It is in good condition — they are not buying heavy fixers
- You want speed but are comfortable with a service fee and a post-inspection adjustment
One thing to watch with any fast-sale option: the offer that arrives before anyone has seen the property is not the offer you will close at. Whether it is an iBuyer's algorithmic estimate or a wholesaler's optimistic phone number, expect it to be revised after inspection. Ask up front what the process is for changing the price, and get the answer in writing.
If listing is better, we will say so
We would rather lose a deal than buy a house from someone who should have listed it. If our number does not beat the open market for your situation, we will tell you, and if you would like an introduction to a local agent who works your neighbourhood we are glad to make one at no cost and with nothing in it for us. We are not a brokerage and we do not take referral fees.
Get a number to compare against
Even if you end up listing, a written cash offer gives you a floor to negotiate from.