Cash offer vs. realtor: the numbers, honestly
A cash offer is lower than what a realtor can list your house for. No one disputes that, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling something. The better question is this: after everything comes out of each number, which puts more money in your account? And how long does each take to get there?
One difference is worth naming before the math starts. Most cash buyers open by handing you a figure. We do not make offers at all. You tell us what you need to clear, and we tell you whether it fits inside the numbers below. The math is the same either way. What differs is who names a number first, and whether the number on the table is yours or an anchor someone chose for you.
Side by side
| Selling to us | Listing with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Commissions and fees | None. We are the buyer. | Typically 5 to 6 percent of the sale price |
| Repairs before selling | None. We buy as-is. | Usually required, plus whatever the inspection turns up |
| Cleaning and showings | None. One walkthrough. | Ongoing, on a stranger's schedule |
| Who pays closing costs | We cover the standard costs | Commonly split, varies by state |
| Time to close | About 1 to 3 weeks, or a date you pick | Roughly 30 to 60 days after a buyer's offer is accepted |
| Risk of the sale falling through | Low. No lender involved. | Real. A failed loan or a low appraisal can end it. |
| Likely sale price | Below full retail | Full market value if the house shows well |
The last row is the trade-off, and we will not hide it. Selling to a cash buyer gets you speed, certainty, and no repairs at all. If your house is in good shape and you can wait, listing it will usually get you more money.
A worked example
Take a house worth $368,697, the typical US home value as of August 2026. Say it needs some work before a lender will fund a buyer, and it takes three months to sell. Here is where each route really lands.
| Listing it | Selling to us | |
|---|---|---|
| Sale price | $368,697 | $294,958 (about 80% of market) |
| Agent commission (~5.5%) | -$20,278 | None |
| Seller closing costs (~1%) | -$3,687 | We pay them |
| Repairs before listing | -$8,000 | None |
| Post-inspection concession (~1%) | -$3,687 | None |
| Carrying costs (3 months at $1,850) | -$5,550 | None |
| Roughly what you keep | $327,495 | $294,958 |
In this example listing still wins, by roughly $32,537. We are showing you a case we lose because that is the honest result for a house in reasonable condition. If yours is too, that is the result you should expect.
What changes the answer is the repair line. Move it from $8,000 to $45,000, an ordinary figure for a house that needs a roof, systems, and a kitchen. Then the two routes come out close. Now add a tenant who will not allow showings, or a sale that falls apart at week eight and restarts the clock. The cash route then comes out ahead on money as well as on time.
So the real question is not which route is better in general. It is what your specific house needs and how long you can afford to wait. Tell us the address and we will run this math on your actual numbers, including the version where you should list it.
The figures above are an example. Commission rates are negotiable and vary. Carrying costs depend on your mortgage and local taxes. The 80 percent figure is a rough midpoint, not a formula we apply. Every house is different, and so is the number you need out of it.
Common questions
- Is a cash offer always lower than what an agent can get?
- On the gross number, yes, almost always. The number that matters is what lands in your bank account. That is after commissions, repairs, concessions, and however many months of carrying costs. Those can close much of the gap. On a house that needs real work, they sometimes close it completely.
- How much do real estate agents actually cost?
- A total commission of 5 to 6 percent, split between both sides, has long been common practice. It is not a rule, and it is negotiable. The 2024 NAR settlement changed how a buyer's agent's pay is offered and disclosed. On top of that, sellers commonly pay some closing costs and often give a concession after the inspection.
- What is the biggest hidden cost of listing?
- Time. Every month a house sits means another mortgage payment, more property tax, another insurance premium, and another utility bill, on a home you have decided to leave. Sellers tend to weigh the commission carefully and ignore the carrying costs. The carrying costs are often larger.
- How often do conventional sales fall through?
- Often enough to plan for. Financing problems, low appraisals, and inspection disputes end deals all the time. When one falls apart, you go back on the market with time already lost. And buyers look at a relisted house with suspicion.
- So when should I list instead?
- When the house is in good shape, your market is moving, and you can wait a few months. In that case, listing will almost certainly net you more, and we will tell you so.
Have us run these numbers on your house
You do not need a number ready, or photos, or a plan. Want to know your real options, even the ones that do not involve us? Call and ask.
Sabrina usually picks up. (615) 576-8827