When selling your home, there are three main options. (1) Cash Home Buyers such as Eagle Cash Buyers – these buyers purchase homes quickly AS-IS with no fees and close in less than 14 days. (2) iBuyers such as Opendoor and Offerpad – tech companies that use algorithms to make near-instant offers, usually on move-in-ready homes in select metro areas, and charge a service fee of 5% to 8%. (3) Traditional Agents – they list your home on the MLS to chase the highest gross sale price, but typically take 3 or more months to close and cost 5% to 6% in commission plus 2% to 3% in closing costs. Only you know your timeline, property condition and where your financial priorities lie – so only you can make the right decision.
Selling Options: What Are Your Three?
If you are a homeowner looking for the fastest or best way to sell your house, there will be three distinct options that you will run into very quickly: cash home buyers, iBuyers and traditional real estate brokers/agencies. From a 30,000-foot level, they all do basically the same thing: sell your home. However, the journey behind that experience and its timeline would clearly be expensive but fundamentally different.
This guide dispenses with the marketing nonsense and provides solid data to help you make an informed decision that considers what is right for your situation, not some hypothetical average homeowner points of reference.
What Is a Cash Home Buyer?
A cash home buyer is a real estate investment firm, or property investor that buys properties direct from homeowners with its own funds – no mortgage approvals, and no bank loans; meaning your sale won’t be derailed in the (very) last minute by difficult financing contingencies.
To give you an example, one such company is Eagle Cash Buyers who are direct buyers which means they look at the price of your home based on its condition and in relation to other sales nearby before offering a no obligation cash offer within 24 hours.
Traits of a Cash Home Buyer:
- Purchase As-Is – no cleaning, repairs or any stagers required
- Private capital-funded, therefore the financing cannot fail
- Closes in as little as 14 days or on your own convenience schedule
- No agents, no closing costs and zero hidden fees.
- Purchase basically any class or state of home/property – foreclosure, inherited homes, fire-harmed properties and hoarder-condition or code-violation properties. See: We Buy Houses As-Is
For a detailed step by step look into what this looks like, head to How It Works at Eagle Cash Buyers.
What Is an iBuyer?
iBuyers (instant buyers): Tech-enabled real estate companies that provide algorithm-generated cash offers on homes with fast delivery times via their own Automated Valuation Models (AVMs). Names like Opendoor and Offerpad are some of the largest in their space.
Key characteristics of an iBuyer:
- Pricing algorithms create offers, not people
- Purchase houses only in select markets and usually asking for good condition
- Service Fees: 5% to 8%, can equal or exceed traditional agent commissions
- May need repairs or subtract repair credits from your final offer
- Limited to specific major metropolitan areas – you will typically not qualify if your home is located in a rural or smaller-market area
All this leads to closing timelines that are generally quicker than agents, but rarely at the speed or adaptability of cash buyers.
Note: iBuyer service fees are in addition to and separate from the price discount already factored into their offers. You’re essentially paying for convenience, but all-in the price tag can add up quickly.
What Do Conventional Real Estate Agents Actually Do?
A typical real estate agent lists your house on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), markets it to prospective buyers, mediates for you and manages all aspects of closing. The agent gets a commission – typically 5% to 6% of the sale price, split between buyer and seller agents.
What Are the Key Features of Selling with a Traditional Agent?
- Highest gross sale price in a normal selling market
- Average timeframe: 30-90+ days just to get a buyer (25% – no showings, house gets stale), then another 30-45 days after contract signed before you even close = average total: 3 or more months.
- Needs fixes, modernizing, cleaning & staging and very difficult to show
- Deals collapse because mortgages are declined; contingent and no-contingent buyers
- 5% to 6% commission + 2% to 3% closing costs which fall on the seller
- Most appropriate for homes ready to move in with non-pressured sellers
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has information to assist you with understanding your rights as a mortgage and real estate seller through any process.
Tale of the Tape: Cash vs. iBuyers vs. Agents
The no-nonsense comparison you came for:
| Factor | Cash Home Buyers (Eagle Cash Buyers) | iBuyer | Traditional Agent |
| Offer Timeline | Within 24 hours | Minutes to 24 hours (automated) | Time to get an offer: Days / Weeks |
| Closing Speed | 14 days to 3-4 weeks | 14-45 days | 60-120+ days (average) |
| Repairs Required | None – buy as-is | Sometimes – deducted from offer | Yes – to extract the most amount of price |
| Agent Commission | Zero | Zero (but 5% to 8% service fee) | 5% to 6% of sale price |
| Closing Costs | Free – the seller pays Eagle Cash Buyers $0. | Typically seller-paid | 2% to 3% of sale price |
| Risk of Deal Falling Through | Private cash, no financing – Very Low | Low | High – most buyer’s funding falls through |
| Property Condition Required | Any condition accepted | Good condition typically required | Move-in ready preferred |
| Market Coverage | Nationwide (44 states) | Select metro areas only | Anywhere with licensed agents |
| Price Negotiation | One firm, transparent offer | Algorithm-driven, limited negotiation | Full market-driven negotiation |
| Best For | Immediate sellers, distressed properties, any state | Tech-savvy urban homeowners who do not require work on their homes | Patient sellers with market-ready homes |
The Real Cost of Each Option (Calculator Included)
In this example, your home has a $300k ARV.
Option A: Selling with Eagle Cash Buyers
- Cash offer in as-is condition, no fees: $230k – $260k
- Commissions to agents: $0
- Seller points: 0% (cost covered by Eagle Cash Buyers)
- Repair costs: $0
- Carrying costs (mortgage, taxes and insurance in the time your home is up for sale): $0
- Net Cash on Hand: ~$230,000 to $260,000 (usually received within 3-4 weeks)
Scenario B: Selling to an iBuyer
- iBuyer offer (automated): ~$270,000
- Service fee (6%): -$16,200
- Condition repair allowances: $5,000 to $15,000 (average)
- Closing cost: -$4,000 to -$6,000
- Get in your pocket: ~$230,000 to $245,000 – inside of about two months.
Scenario C: Listing With a Traditional Real Estate Agent
- Listing price: $295,000 to $305,000
- Commission (6%): -$17,700 to -$18,300
- Closing costs (2.5%): -$7,375 to -$7,625
- Repairs/staging before putting a house on the market: -$10,000 to -$20,000
- Carrying costs (avg. 5 months at $1,800/month): -$9,000
- Price drops after days on market: -$5,000 to -$10,000 (average)
- Your income after tax: ~$225,000 to $255,000 – wait 4-7 months to implement.
The bottom line: When you run the real numbers, an ethical cash buyer puts a net payout on your closing account that is usually similar to what you’d walk away with at the end of a traditional sale – just without months of having to contend with stress, lack of certainty when selling and taking on additional costs.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers background information about how the home selling process works, including your rights and what all can be part of a sale transaction.
Cash Home Buyer: Who Should Consider One
If one or more of the following apply to your situation, working with a direct cash buyer like Eagle Cash Buyers is almost without doubt your best bet:
You need to sell fast. Be it a new job in another city, an emergency financial need or you just want to stop waiting now – cash buyers can do the sale for you in as little as 14 days, with no showings, no open houses and no uncertain wait for a motivated buyer to make themselves known.
Your home has repairs that you cannot make. You’re still in the running for a cash offer on your home, regardless of foundation problems and roof issues – even if it has suffered fire or water damage or you have outdated systems. Hoarder houses, homes in violation of the code – no problem for Eagle Cash Buyers. Related: Selling A House With Foundation Problems
You are facing foreclosure. You are at a disadvantage with mortgage payments if you have defaulted on them, and there is an auction date for the foreclosure coming up fast: TIME is your greatest asset. We use cash, so we can pull the trigger fast enough to halt the process before your credit is compromised and get you cashed out of whatever equity you have in your house. When there was urgency and a need to close fast, Eagle Cash Buyers has been able to help homeowners facing foreclosure. Time is of the essence; if you are going into foreclosure contact us today.
You have inherited a property. If you are encountering the challenge of managing an estate by inheriting a home, one we can solve for YOU right away – getting rid of that older inherited house is tough and emotionally draining. The short As-Is Cash Sale resolves it in weeks instead of months. We dig into: What Is a Cash Offer on a House and How Does It Work?
You are in the middle of getting divorced. If both parties have a genuine desire for a clean break, expediting the transaction with cash eliminates lots of drama about showings and dealing back-and-forth on price offers with strangers, as well as forcing time.
You owe property taxes, and you have outstanding liens or code violations. A niche group of cash buyers with the ability to purchase real estate property with complications is Eagle Cash Buyers – most cash buyers have this type of capability or find and work through them as part of the transaction.
You own a rental property with tenants in it. The traditional market is complicated when selling a tenant-occupied house. Some cash buyers will buy these homes without having to ask you to remove tenants first. Read More: Everything You Should Know About Selling a Tenant-Occupied Rental Property.
Who Should Choose an iBuyer?
If the following are true, iBuyers are a sound idea.
- Your home is in good shape with little to no deferred maintenance
- You are in a big city that iBuyer services
- You are okay with an offer generated by the algorithm and value minimal human negotiation
- You desire better than the agent timeline, but do not completely need it
- You accept a 5% to 8% service fee as well as any price adjustments
NOTE: The important caveat – iBuyer programs have been notoriously up-and-down. Several large iBuyer companies have wound down significantly or even exited markets entirely in the face of pricing model failures and market dynamics over the past two years. So before you assume an iBuyer will make an offer, check to see that they are still operating in your local market.
When to Choose a Traditional Agent
The most obvious reasons to go with a real estate agent are when:
- Your home has already been prepared for a move in, or you have the budget and time to make it ready
- You are a few months away from needing to move, with zero time pressure
- There is a strong bias towards sellers, low on inventory & high on demand
- Highest gross sale price is your number one objective and you are willing to spend the time and money
- You are OK with buyer financing contingencies, inspection negotiations and the chance that a deal will fall through
Be realistic: The usual time frame to close a home in the United States with an agent is actually 3-6 months from listing until closing. That timeframe can be even longer in slower markets or with homes that require work.
Learn the rights you have when using a real estate professional with guidance from the FTC on buying and selling homes.
Hidden Risks Nobody Talks About
With iBuyers
- Algorithmic mispricing – AVMs hold the potential for major valuation inaccuracies on unusual properties, older homes or real estate in more idiosyncratic neighborhoods.
- Stacking fees for services, as the great-sounding offer comes just short of market value before all servicing and repair costs are removed.
- Risk of program availability: the iBuyer markets and programs are fluid, so you may receive an offer that vanishes if that company exits your market.
With Traditional Agents
- Financing contingency risk (around 1 in 4 deals fall through because the buyer’s financing falls through)
- Inspection contingency pitfalls: buyers use inspections as leverage to drive down price once your home has been removed from the active listing market
- Carrying costs pile up: each month your home sits on the market, you are paying mortgage interest, property taxes, insurance and other costs on a house you are trying to sell
- Price reductions: the longer the listing remains unsold, the more common price reductions become – enough to entirely wipe out any higher asking price
Things To Consider With Cash Home Buyers
There are different types of cash buyers. Watch for companies that:
- Rush you to sign right away because they do not want you to think it over
- Do not explain the methodology they use to derive their offer
- Include phantom fees at closing which were not part of the initial deal
- Cannot verify their source of funds or provide references
At Eagle Cash Buyers, our offers are cash, they have no obligation whatsoever, and ours is a fully transparent process – what you get at closing is exactly the amount we offered for your house. There will be zero surprises, because when we make an offer, whether by letter or over the phone with one of our home buying experts, that’s how much money you can expect at close. This commitment is evident in our BBB A+ rating and thousands of verified Google reviews by homeowners across the nation. Read real homeowner testimonials here.
The Difference With Eagle Cash Buyers
With a team of professional real estate investors led by Oren Sofrin, Eagle Cash Buyers is an established national cash home buying company that has helped over 100 homeowners in the U.S. Our goal is to never touch algorithms or call centers – we support you with a real, live human being from the very first phone call all the way through closing day.
This is what you receive when selling your home with Eagle Cash Buyers:
A fair cash offer in 24 hours. You send us your address to evaluate, and we take a look at recent home sales in the same area (“the comps”), plus what repair work should be factored into an offer, and make you as high an offer as possible. Our equation: ARV (After Repair Value) minus repair costs, as well as our margin. Fully transparent, every time.
Close fast in as little as 14 days – or according to your timeline. Some homeowners need 14 days. Others need 60. You pick the closing date – when it suits you, not us.
No fees, no commissions, and no closing costs. The number in your offer is the number you receive. We cover all closing costs. No 6% commission to an agent. No repair bills. No cleaning fees. No surprises.
As-is purchases in just about any condition. We buy single family homes, condominiums, townhouses and rental properties, including homes with foundation issues, fire damage, code violations, hoarder conditions, major deferred maintenance and tenant problems in place. Related: Cash for a Hoarder House.
The sale cannot fall through. We use our own liquidity – no banks, no lenders, and therefore no funding contingencies. The sale is done when we make an offer and you accept it.
Nationwide service in 44 states. We can assist you whether you’re in Ohio, Texas, Florida or anywhere else across the country.
FAQ: Decision Guide
How can I sell my house fast?
The quickest way to sell a home is to a company such as Eagle Cash Buyers, which can make you a cash offer within 24 hours of your initial contact and then close that transaction in as little as 14 days thereafter – faster, by far, than iBuyers (typically anywhere from two weeks to one-and-a-half months) or traditional agents (who typically take about three times longer after securing an end buyer).
Do cash home buyers pay a fair price?
Cash home buyers make offers below full retail or after-repair-value price, but the net you receive is often comparable to what you would take away from a traditional sale (after agent commissions of 5% to 6%, closing costs of 2% to 3%, repair bills, carrying costs and possible price reductions). The cash buyer quote is your take-home pay. Eagle Cash Buyers provides a detailed explanation of how they come up with their offer here.
Do I pay closing costs when selling to a cash buyer?
Not with Eagle Cash Buyers. We cover all closing costs. The offer amount you are given is the same amount that goes in your pocket when escrow closes.
What kind of houses do cash buyers buy?
Eagle Cash Buyers buys all types of single-family homes, condos, townhouses and rental properties in any condition – including those with foundation problems, fire or water damage, code violations, delinquent taxes and hoarder conditions, or a property owner facing foreclosure.
If I am in foreclosure, can you sell my home quickly?
Yes. A cash home buyer is a better choice in such instances, considering the transaction must be closed prior to auction. Eagle Cash Buyers has worked with homeowners to close a sale within days of foreclosure. If foreclosure is happening to you now, act fast and call us today.
What is the difference between a cash home buyer and an iBuyer?
Eagle Cash Buyers are human-driven cash home buyers that perform personal property evaluations, purchase properties as-is and pay closing costs with no fee, in any market type. iBuyers employ proprietary pricing algorithms, generally purchase move-in-ready properties in select metros (and only recently have begun buying rentals), charge a service fee of 5% to 8%, and the offer price may be reduced for repairs. On the whole, cash home buyers are typically more flexible with closing timelines than their competitors and often at equal or reduced all-in costs to sellers.
Do I need to make repairs before selling?
No, cash home buyers buy real estate as-is. Selling to Eagle Cash Buyers means you do not have to clean, stage, or even fix up your home. We handle everything after closing.
Does Eagle Cash Buyers operate in my state?
Eagle Cash Buyers does not operate in all states, but services 44 states nationwide. Contact us or call (833) 330-1625 to see if we’re available in your area and get a no-obligation cash offer.
How can I tell if an Eagle Cash Buyers offer is legitimate?
Eagle Cash Buyers is BBB A+ accredited, has been in business for over 6 years, and has verified homeowners who came to us because they were tired of nightmares with other so-called cash buyers. We have real reviews on Google from real clients. There is never any obligation to accept – all offers are free and without pressure. We have a completely transparent process where what we promise in our offer is exactly what gets delivered.
What happens after I accept a cash offer?
After you agree to the cash offer, we do all the paperwork and title work and coordinate with a closing attorney. You just confirm the closing date and show up. You get paid in cash on closing day. See the full process here.
Your Next Step
You have done your research. The question then is simple: what does your situation really call for?
If you are in a major metro with a well-maintained home and want quick, automated service, an iBuyer could be an option – but check local availability first and run the real all-in costs before going down that path.
If you need to sell quickly, in any state and without fees or surprises – a direct cash sale with Eagle Cash Buyers is almost certainly the best route for you by far.
If your residence is in pristine condition, you have some months to spare and maximising gross price outweighs everything else – consider a traditional agent, understanding all the costs & risks involved.
