Every Way to Sell a House, Compared Honestly
We're a cash buyer telling you upfront: a cash sale is not always your best option. Here's the full comparison, including when to choose our competitors.
You'll work directly with Eric and Carson, the owners, not a call center.
The Four Paths
| Agent listing | FSBO | iBuyer | Direct cash sale (us) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical gross price | Highest | High (but FSBO homes average lower sale prices) | Near-market for eligible homes | Below retail |
| Fees | ~5–6% commission + seller closing costs | Buyer-agent fee often still expected | ~5%+ service fee | None |
| Repairs & prep | Usually required | Usually required | Post-inspection deductions | None, as-is |
| Showings | Yes, weeks of them | Yes, you host | Minimal | One walkthrough |
| Time to close | 60–90+ days typical | Similar or longer | 2–4 weeks | 2–3 weeks, your date |
| Certainty | Financing can fail | Lowest | High for eligible homes | Highest |
| Eligible homes | Best for market-ready | Any (harder for damaged) | Move-in-ready, select metros | Any condition, anywhere |
When Each Path Wins
List with an agent
When the house is in good shape, you can fund any prep, and you have 2–3 months. On a market-ready home the commission buys real value: pricing strategy, marketing, and negotiation that usually more than covers itself. That's the truth, from a cash buyer.
FSBO
When you have an unlisted buyer already in hand, a neighbor, a relative, a tenant. Paying a flat-fee service or attorney to paper that deal beats a full commission. Cold-market FSBO, though, statistically underperforms: less exposure and weaker negotiation typically cost more than the commission saved.
iBuyer
When your home is relatively modern, move-in ready, in one of their metros, and you value speed, get their quote and compare their net (after the ~5% fee and inspection deductions) against everything else. They decline most houses with real repair needs, tenants, or title complexity.
Direct cash sale
When condition, timeline, or life logistics dominate: repairs you don't want to fund, probate and heirs, tenants, foreclosure clocks, vacant houses from out of state, or simply a strong preference for privacy and certainty over maximum price. (Browse every situation we work with for the full map.)
The Only Comparison That Matters: Net, After Everything
Gross price is a vanity number. The real question is what lands in your account, when, and with what probability. A $250,000 listing with $15,000 commission, $12,000 repairs and credits, $6,000 in seller costs, and four months of carrying isn't $250,000, and that's if the first buyer's financing holds. Our cash offer calculator runs this math with your numbers for both paths. Then get real quotes, an agent's net sheet and our written offer, and decide with facts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would a cash buyer tell me listing might be better?
Because it's true often enough that pretending otherwise would make everything else on this site suspect. Our model works with sellers whose situations genuinely fit a direct sale, about a third of the people we talk to are better served listing, we say so, and they refer people to us anyway. Honesty is cheaper than advertising.
Can I try to list first and come back to you if it doesn't sell?
Absolutely, and people do. Just know the trade-offs: months of carrying costs while listed, and a stale listing (buyers see days-on-market and assume something's wrong) can weaken your negotiating position later. If you're 50/50, getting our written offer before you list gives you a floor, and it costs nothing.
Are 'we buy houses' offers negotiable?
Ours are built from explicit numbers, ARV, repair costs, margin, so the negotiation is about the inputs, not haggling. If you have contractor quotes showing our repair estimate is high, or comps we missed, show us and the offer moves. That's a better process than a number pulled from the air with 'wiggle room' built in for theater.
Related Guides
Ready for a no-obligation cash offer?
Tell us about your property and get a straightforward written offer. No repairs, no fees, no pressure to accept.