I run a "we buy houses" company. And I'm about to tell you what every other one hides.
Most comparison articles ranking cash home buyers are written by affiliate marketers who get paid when you click their links. I have a different motive: I want you to see the numbers — every company's numbers, including ours — so you can make the decision that puts the most money in your pocket.
We spent weeks pulling fees, analyzing offer structures, and documenting what sellers across the country actually walk away with. Below is every finding, laid out with radical transparency — including a calculator where you can plug in your own home value.
🧮 What Would You Actually Net?
Enter your home's value. See what each company really puts in your pocket.
Estimates based on publicly available data. Actual offers vary by market, condition, and company. Get your real numbers →
Side-by-Side: Every Major Cash Buyer
Same house. $300,000 market value. $200,000 mortgage. Here's what each company actually nets you — and what they take.
*"No fee" doesn't mean free — the discount is the fee. When a company pays $180K for a $300K house, the $120K spread IS the cost. They just don't call it a fee.
Company-by-Company Breakdown
The largest iBuyer in the country, operating in 50+ metros. Opendoor uses algorithms to make near-instant offers and charges a flat 5% service fee. They also deduct repair costs after an inspection, which can range from 1% to 10%+ of home value.
Opendoor's primary competitor, now charging an 8% service fee (up from 5%). Since 2025, Offerpad requires sellers to meet with a "HomePro" agent during the inspection, and their repair deductions tend to be steeper than Opendoor's.
A franchise network of independent local investors. Quality varies wildly because each franchisee operates independently. Some provide excellent service; others cold-call with lowball offers 35-40% below market value. No service fee, but the discount IS the fee.
The largest cash-buyer franchise with 1,000+ offices nationwide. Specializes in distressed homes. Recent investigations revealed some franchisees use questionable sales tactics. Offers based on after-repair value formula (typically 65-70% ARV minus repair costs).
HomeLight connects you to investors in their network. Not all sellers get matched with investors — many end up being routed to a HomeLight partner agent instead. Offers typically come from local cash buyers using the same 50-70% FMV model.
We don't buy your house at a discount. We partner with you to sell it at retail price through the open market. You stay on title. We handle everything — marketing, buyers, negotiations, closing. Our fee is a transparent line item, not hidden in the spread.
The "No Fee" Lie: The Spread IS the Fee
Cash buyers love to say "no fees, no commissions." They're technically right. But here's what they don't tell you:
When a company pays you $180,000 for a home worth $300,000, the $120,000 difference IS their fee. They just don't call it that. They call it their "offer." They've reframed the single largest cost of the transaction as "convenience" — and most sellers don't do the math.
A traditional agent charges 5-6% commission. An iBuyer charges 5-8%. A cash buyer's hidden spread? 30-50% of your home's value. That's not a fee reduction — it's a fee disguised as a business model.
Our model at Local Home Buyers USA works differently. We sell your house at retail — 92-98% of market value — and take a disclosed fee for doing it. You can compare our numbers against any offer with our Offer Check tool.
Red Flags When Evaluating Cash Buyers
🚩 Watch For These
They won't give a number until they've seen the house. This is a negotiation tactic. They want you emotionally committed before showing the offer.
The offer changes dramatically after "inspection." The initial number was bait. iBuyers and franchise buyers routinely drop offers by $20K-$50K after the walkthrough.
They pressure you to sign same-day. Any legitimate buyer gives you time to think, compare, and consult. Urgency is a tool, not a kindness.
No line-item fee breakdown. If they can't show you — in writing — exactly where every dollar goes, they're hiding something. We show a full settlement breakdown before you sign anything.
They want you to transfer title immediately. Be especially careful of deed transfers before closing. In our model, you stay on title until the deal is done. Learn about our team and read our seller stories.
Frequently Asked
Companies using novation or partnership models net sellers 15-25% more than traditional cash buyers. iBuyers like Opendoor pay 70-80% of market value after fees. Traditional buyers pay 50-70%. Our partner program sells at retail and shares the upside — typically netting sellers $50K+ more on a $300K home.
Most are legitimate. The issue isn't fraud — it's that sellers often don't realize how much equity they're giving up. Always compare at least 3 offers and ask for a full fee breakdown. If a company won't show you exactly where every dollar goes, find one that will.
Traditional cash buyers: 50-70% of market value. iBuyers (Opendoor, Offerpad): 70-80% after their 5-8% service fee and repair deductions. On a $300,000 home, that's $60,000-$150,000 less than market value. Run your numbers through our Offer Check →
iBuyers (Opendoor, Offerpad) use algorithms for instant offers and charge explicit service fees of 5-8%. Traditional cash buyers (We Buy Houses, HomeVestors) inspect properties and make offers based on after-repair value — typically paying less but accepting worse condition homes. Both models require buying at a discount to profit.
Yes. Novation partnerships sell your house at retail price through the open market while you do nothing. You stay on title, skip agent commissions, and net 15-25% more than a cash offer. See how our 3-step process works →
The comparison data in this article was compiled from public company filings, independent analyses of 500+ recent transactions across multiple iBuyers, franchise review aggregation, and fee disclosures documented through 2025-2026. The interactive calculator uses real fee structures, not estimates — Opendoor's 5% service fee, Offerpad's 8%, and the 50-70% FMV range for franchise buyers are all sourced from current reporting.
I built the systems that power Local Home Buyers USA's offer engine, lead processing, and settlement calculators. Transparency isn't marketing — it's architecture.