A listing usually brings a higher sale price, but a cash offer can net you about the same or more once you subtract repairs, agent commissions, closing costs and months of holding costs. Compare the money you actually walk away with, not the headline price.
The question we hear most often: “Won’t I get more if I list it?” Sometimes, yes. Here’s how to tell.
Compare what you walk away with, not the sale price
The price on a listing isn’t what lands in your bank account. Before you compare it to a cash offer, subtract:
- Repairs and updates buyers or their lenders will ask for
- Agent commissions
- Seller closing costs and concessions
- Holding costs while it’s on the market: mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities each month
- The risk of a deal falling through after inspections or financing
A cash offer has fewer of these. You make no repairs, pay no commission and choose the closing date.
A simple way to compare
Write down three numbers for each option:
- The expected price
- Everything you’ll pay before and at closing
- How many months until you have the money
Then subtract line 2 from line 1. That’s your real number.
When listing is the better choice
If your house is updated, in a strong neighborhood and you aren’t in a hurry, listing often nets the most. We’ll tell you that. It’s why every seller gets a free home value report from us along with our cash offer.
When a cash offer wins
- The house needs significant repairs
- You inherited it and want a simple, final sale
- You’re behind on payments or facing a deadline
- There are tenants, liens or a lot of belongings to clear out
- You value certainty and a set date more than squeezing out the last dollar
The third option most sellers never hear about
Our hybrid offer sits in between. We handle and fund the repairs, sell the house on the market and you keep more of the value, without fronting any money. Compare all three options.