Cash offer vs. realtor: the numbers, honestly
A cash offer is lower than what a realtor can list your house for. That part is not in dispute and anybody telling you otherwise is selling something. The question worth asking is a different one: after everything comes out of each number, which puts more money in your account, and how long does each take to get there?
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 you accept an offer |
| Risk of the sale falling through | Low. No lender involved. | Real. Financing and appraisal can both 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 are not going to hide it. A cash offer buys speed, certainty, and the ability to skip repairs entirely. If your house is in good condition and you can wait, listing it will usually net you more money.
A worked example
Take a house worth $371,774, which is the typical US home value as of July 2026. Assume it needs some work before a lender will fund a buyer, and that it takes three months to sell. Here is where each route actually lands.
| Listing it | Selling to us | |
|---|---|---|
| Sale price | $371,774 | $297,419 (about 80% of market) |
| Agent commission (~5.5%) | -$20,448 | None |
| Seller closing costs (~1%) | -$3,718 | We pay them |
| Repairs before listing | -$8,000 | None |
| Post-inspection concession (~1%) | -$3,718 | None |
| Carrying costs (3 months at $1,850) | -$5,550 | None |
| Roughly what you keep | $330,341 | $297,419 |
In this example listing still wins, by roughly $32,922. We are showing you a case we lose because that is the honest result for a house in reasonable condition, and it is the result you should expect if yours is too.
What changes the answer is the repair line. Move that from $8,000 to $45,000, which is an ordinary figure for a house needing a roof, systems, and a kitchen, and the two routes converge. Add a tenant who will not allow showings, or a sale that collapses at week eight and restarts the clock, and the cash route 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 arithmetic on your actual numbers, including the version where you should list it.
The figures above are illustrative. Commission rates are negotiable and vary, carrying costs depend on your mortgage and local taxes, and the 80 percent figure is a rough midpoint rather than a formula we apply. Real offers depend on the individual property.
Common questions
- Is a cash offer always lower than what an agent can get?
- The gross number, yes, essentially always. The number that matters is what reaches your bank account after commissions, repairs, concessions, and however many months of carrying costs. Those can close the gap substantially, and on a house needing real work they sometimes close it entirely.
- How much do real estate agents actually cost?
- Commission is typically around 5 to 6 percent of the sale price split between both sides, though it is negotiable and the rules around who pays the buyer's agent changed in 2024. 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 is another mortgage payment, tax accrual, insurance premium, and utility bill on a property you have decided to leave. Sellers tend to price the commission carefully and ignore the carrying costs entirely, and the carrying costs are often larger.
- How often do conventional sales fall through?
- Often enough to plan for. Financing problems, appraisal shortfalls, and inspection disputes all end deals routinely. When one collapses you go back on the market with time already spent, and buyers treat a relisted property with suspicion.
- So when should I list instead?
- When the house is in good condition, your market is moving, and you can wait a few months. In that situation listing will almost certainly net you more, and we will tell you so.
Have us run these numbers on your house
It takes about two minutes, there is no obligation, and there is never a fee. If we are not the right answer for your situation, we will tell you that too.