⚖️ Cash offer vs. agent
Cash Offer vs. Listing With an Agent
“List with an agent and you’ll get more money” is the most common thing sellers hear — but the sale price and the money you keep are two very different numbers.
A traditional sale takes 5–6% off the top in agent commissions, another 1% or so in seller closing costs, whatever you spend getting the home market-ready, and every month of mortgage, taxes, insurance, and utilities while it’s listed and in escrow. On a home that needs work or sits for a few months, those costs add up fast.
A cash sale skips all of it. The offer is lower than full retail — that’s the honest trade — but there’s no commission, no closing costs, no repairs, and no carrying costs eating into it. What we offer is very close to what you actually keep.
The calculator below lets you put in your own numbers and see both nets side by side, with a typical cash offer assumed for you. It won’t always favor cash — it just shows you the real comparison so you can decide.
Sticker price vs. take-home
What eats into a traditional sale
A higher list price isn't more money in your pocket. These are what come out of it — a cash sale skips every one.
Compare your net
Agent sale vs. cash sale — what do you actually keep?
The highest sale price isn’t the same as the most money in your pocket. Set your numbers below to compare what a traditional listing nets you — after commission, closing costs, repairs, and months of carrying the home — against a cash sale with none of those.
Traditional agent sale
$715,000
- Sale price$800,000
- − Agent commission (5.5%)−$44,000
- − Closing costs (1%)−$8,000
- − Repairs−$25,000
- − Carrying (3 mo)−$8,400
Cash sale to us
$698,000
- Cash offer$698,000
- − Commission$0
- − Closing costs$0
- − Repairs$0
- − Carrying$0
A traditional sale nets about $17,000 more here — but it takes months, needs repairs up front, and can fall through. A cash sale trades that for speed and certainty.
Get my real cash offer →For illustrative purposes only. Contact us for a real cash offer. Figures are estimates based on the numbers you entered and typical assumptions — commissions, costs, and timelines vary.
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Source: Agent vs. Cash Net-Proceeds Calculator — SGV Home Buyers
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Won't I get more money listing with an agent?
Sometimes the headline price is higher — but that's before a 5–6% commission, closing costs, repairs, and months of mortgage payments while it sits. After all of that, a cash sale's net is often very close, and for a home that needs work it can come out ahead.
How is a cash sale faster?
There's no listing prep, no showings, no buyer waiting on mortgage approval, and no appraisal to come in low. We pay cash, so we can close in as little as 7 days instead of 60–90.
What's the catch with a cash offer?
A cash offer is genuinely below full retail — that's the trade for speed, certainty, and zero cost or hassle to you. There's no obligation to accept, so it costs nothing to see the number.
Can a listed sale fall through?
Yes — financed deals fall apart over appraisals, inspections, and loan denials all the time. A cash sale has no lender, so once we agree, it closes.
Get your cash offer
Request your free cash offer
Tell us about your property and the best number to reach you. We’ll call you back with a fair, no-obligation cash offer — no pressure, no spam. Prefer to talk now? Call (321) 328-7375.
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