The three options side by side
The single biggest difference is not the price — it is what you are trading the price for. Speed and certainty cost money. Sometimes that trade is obviously worth it; often it is not.
| Cash buyer (us) | Realtor | iBuyer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price you get | Below retail | Highest, typically | Near retail, minus fees |
| Fees / commission | None | ~5–6% commission | Service fee, often 5%+ |
| Repairs | None — priced in | Usually expected | Deductions after inspection |
| Showings | A few, scheduled with you | Many, open to the public | Few or none |
| Time to close | Fast, you pick the date | Weeks to months | Fast |
| Financing can collapse | No | Yes — the common failure | No |
| Condition accepted | Any | Must be presentable | Narrow — newer, standard homes |
| Available in El Paso | Yes | Yes | Limited |
On iBuyers specifically: the national iBuyers have narrow buy boxes — newer, standard, undamaged homes in a tight price band — and their El Paso coverage is limited. Get a quote if you qualify; a lot of El Paso housing stock simply will not.
When a realtor beats us — which is often
We would rather say this plainly than have you find out afterwards. List with an agent if all of these are true:
- The house is in decent condition, or you can fund the repairs and wait to be paid back at closing.
- You have three or four months, and no deadline that is set by something other than the market.
- The title is clean and everyone who needs to sign is available and in agreement.
- The house can be kept presentable and open to the public — photos, weekend showings, and buyers touring on the market's schedule rather than yours.
In that situation the extra you would net on the open market will very likely exceed the commission you pay to get it. That is not a close call, and any cash buyer who tells you otherwise is selling you something.
When we are genuinely the better answer
The trade tilts our way when time, condition, or the situation itself is the actual obstacle:
- The repairs are unfundable, so the house sells as-is — a roof, a foundation, or an HVAC system you cannot pay for before closing, and a buyer’s lender that will require the work first.
- There is a date on a notice and a listing cannot realistically beat it.
- The house is full and the family is scattered, and nobody wants to empty it or keep it presentable for a listing.
- There is a tenant in place who will not accommodate a conventional sale.
- You are already gone, or leaving on a fixed date, and carrying two housing payments is the real cost.
- A divorce means the house has to be sold, and one clean closing is easier on both owners than months of showings.
- The house payment has outgrown the budget, the free help has been tried first, and selling is what is left.
- The house cannot realistically be put on the market as it stands — fire, water, hoarding, a half-finished remodel.
How to compare offers without being fooled
If you take one thing from this page, take this: compare net proceeds, not headline prices. An agent’s likely sale price minus commission, minus repairs you fund up front, minus the months of mortgage, taxes and insurance you pay while it sits — against a cash number with nothing deducted from it.
And when you get a cash offer from anyone, ask them to show you the arithmetic. If they cannot or will not, that tells you something. Ours is published.
Two questions worth asking any cash buyer: do you actually buy houses yourself, or do you assign the contract to someone else? and is anything at all deducted after I sign? Both answers should be immediate.
FAQ
Will a realtor really get me more money?
Usually yes, if the house is in reasonable condition and you have time. The open market has more buyers competing, and that competition is worth more than the commission costs. Where that logic breaks down is when repairs, deadlines or the situation stop the house from reaching that market at all.
Are iBuyers available in El Paso?
Coverage here is limited, and iBuyer buy boxes are narrow — newer, standard homes in a specific price band and condition. If your house qualifies, get a quote and compare it against ours; a lot of El Paso housing stock will not qualify.
Why do cash buyers pay less?
Because the discount is what buys you speed, certainty and the removal of the repair problem — and because the buyer has to make money on the other end after paying for those repairs. Anyone offering near-retail for a house in poor condition, with no fees and no inspection, is either mistaken or is planning to reduce the number later.
Can I get a cash offer and still list the house?
Yes, and it is a sensible thing to do. An offer with no fee and no obligation is a floor to measure everything else against. Take ours to an agent and ask them to beat it.
What should I watch out for?
Anyone asking for money up front. Anyone who will not show you how they reached their number. Anyone pressuring you to sign on the first call. And any offer that gets quietly reduced after you have already committed — ask up front whether anything is deducted after signing.
We are the buyer, not your agent, and we are not licensed real estate agents, attorneys or accountants. Commission rates, iBuyer fees and market conditions change and vary by transaction — the figures above are typical ranges, not quotes. Ask an agent for their actual rate and run your own numbers.