Best Companies That Buy Houses for Cash in 2026: Fees, Speed and Coverage Compared

Disclosure: is Cash Offer Desk on this list?

Yes. Cash Offer Desk is our own company, and it appears below as one entry. We make written as-is cash offers in our buying areas. In many deals we assign our purchase contract to an investor partner, which makes us a wholesaler in those deals, and we tell sellers up front, in writing. We earn the assignment fee or the resale profit, and sellers never pay us a fee. We applied the same facts-only approach to every company, including ours, and we did not place ourselves first.

All facts below come from each company's own website or help center, checked in October 2026. Fees, markets and rules change, so confirm the details on the company's site before you sign anything.

What types of companies buy houses for cash?

There are three main types of cash buyers, and they work very differently. Knowing the type tells you more about the likely offer than the brand name does.

• iBuyers (Opendoor, Offerpad) are large companies that use pricing software to make offers, buy the house themselves, and resell it. They mostly want newer homes in decent shape and charge a service fee.
• Investors and franchises (HomeVestors, Express Homebuyers, Cash Offer Desk, local flippers and landlords) buy houses in any condition, fix them, and resell or rent them. They usually do not charge a fee, but their offer is lower to cover repairs and profit. Some are wholesalers who assign the contract to another investor instead of closing themselves.
• Marketplaces and matching services (Clever Offers, HomeLight Simple Sale, Sundae, Houzeo Cash Offers) do not buy the house. They pass your house to several buyers so you can compare offers.

How do the companies compare at a glance?

Here is a summary as of October 2026, based on each company's own published information. "Not published" means we could not find the figure on the company's site.

1. Opendoor

Opendoor is an iBuyer: it makes a cash offer, buys the home itself, and resells it. Its help center says it "buys single-family homes nationwide across the contiguous United States," though eligibility depends on property type and condition (Opendoor).

• How it works: you get an estimated offer within 24 hours, then a final offer within a few days after a home assessment (Opendoor). You pick the closing date.
• Fees: Opendoor charges a service charge for buying, holding and reselling your home. It says it "does not publish a fixed service charge percentage" and the amount varies by market and home (Opendoor Help Center). Repair costs are deducted from the offer, and title and escrow costs run 1% to 3%.
• Good to know: Opendoor says you can cancel any time before closing without cost or penalty. It also offers a "Cash Now, More Later" option.
• Drawbacks: the fee is only visible on your own offer, and repair deductions can lower the final number after inspection.

2. Offerpad

Offerpad is another iBuyer. It says it buys in "over 1,700 cities and towns in metro areas across the country" (Offerpad FAQ).

• Fees: "We charge a simple service fee of 5%," plus closing costs of about 1% of the price.
• Speed: close in as little as 8 days or up to 60 days, and you can stay up to 3 days after closing (Offerpad).
• Criteria: it buys single-family homes and townhomes, not manufactured or mobile homes. It typically will not buy homes built before 1950, on lots over 2 acres, valued over $1 million (market dependent), or with significant structural issues.
• Drawbacks: strict criteria rule out many older or damaged homes, and you may be asked to repair items or accept a credit.

3. Clever Offers

Clever Offers is a free marketplace run by Clever Real Estate that connects sellers with vetted investors and iBuyers. It is available in all 50 states and Washington, DC (Clever).

• How it makes money: sellers pay no fee. The buyer pays Clever a referral fee when the sale closes.
• Speed: Clever lists 7 to 30 days for direct cash offers.
• Extras: it also shows options like a cash offer with upside and a fast agent listing, so you can compare paths.
• Drawbacks: you will talk with Clever's team and several buyers, which means more calls.

4. HomeLight Simple Sale

Simple Sale is HomeLight's cash offer platform. HomeLight says it can provide cash offers "for homes nationwide in almost any condition," with an offer in 24 hours and closing in as few as 7 days (HomeLight).

• Fees: no agent commissions and no fees charged by HomeLight.
• Useful feature: it shows your cash offer next to an estimate of what you might net by listing.
• Drawbacks: offers come from investors in its network, so expect investor-level pricing.

5. HomeVestors (We Buy Ugly Houses)

HomeVestors is a franchise network of real estate investors that markets itself as "We Buy Ugly Houses." Its site says "each franchise office is independently owned and operated" (HomeVestors).

• How it works: a local franchise owner visits and can make a no-obligation, as-is offer. HomeVestors says offers are "typically discounted below market value in exchange for speed and convenience."
• Fees: no commissions or fees, and it pays typical closing costs.
• Speed: it can "sometimes close in as little as three weeks."
• Seller protection: after you sign, you have three days to cancel in writing (HomeVestors FAQ). The company added this window after a ProPublica investigation of some franchise offices (ProPublica).
• Drawbacks: you deal with one local franchise, so experience depends on that office. Compare its offer with others. See our We Buy Ugly Houses alternatives.

6. Sundae

Sundae is a marketplace where investor buyers bid on as-is homes. It says there are "zero fees to Sundae" and you can close in as fast as 10 days or up to 60 (Sundae). Some sellers may qualify for a cash advance of up to $20,000 before closing.

• Coverage: its site lists metros in California, Florida (Tampa), Nevada (Las Vegas), Oklahoma (Oklahoma City), South Carolina (Charleston), Tennessee (Nashville) and Utah (Salt Lake City).
• Drawbacks: limited markets.

7. Houzeo Cash Offers

Houzeo sends your property to a network of cash investors who compete for it. Its Dallas page says getting offers is free, most buyers offer within 24 to 48 hours, and closing typically takes 7 to 21 days (Houzeo).

• Drawbacks: the page we checked does not say who pays Houzeo for the service, so ask.

8. Express Homebuyers

Express Homebuyers is a regional company that buys houses directly and has operated since 2003. Its site lists Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, Ohio and Washington as markets and says there are no fees, commissions or closing costs (Express Homebuyers).

• Speed: "as little as 7 to 14 days."
• Drawbacks: only serves its listed regions.

9. Cash Offer Desk (our company)

Cash Offer Desk is a local cash buyer that makes written as-is cash offers in its buying areas. You fill out one short form or call, we talk through the house, do a quick walkthrough or video call, and send a written offer. In many deals we assign the purchase contract to an investor partner who funds the purchase, and we say so up front, in writing. Your price and terms in the contract do not change. See how it works.

• Fees: none to sellers. We earn the assignment fee or the resale profit (how we make money).
• Speed: set in the written offer. We do not guarantee an offer, a price or a closing date.
• Good to know: free seller education tools, like the cash offer calculator. Outside our buying areas, we may connect you with a trusted cash buyer, with your consent.
• Drawbacks: we launched in 2026 and buy only in select markets. We often assign contracts, so in those deals you are effectively dealing with a wholesaler. Like any cash buyer, our offers are below what a fixed-up house would sell for on the open market. Get other offers and have an attorney review any contract, including ours.

How did we evaluate these companies?

We included companies that are operating in 2026 and publish how they work on their own sites. For each one we recorded what the company itself states about fees, speed, coverage and process, and linked the page. We left out anything we could not confirm on the company's site or a reputable source.

We did not score or rank by price, because no public data shows which company pays the most across markets. The order groups similar company types, with iBuyers first. We did not include star ratings, since review counts and platforms vary.

Which company should you choose?

Choose based on your house and your timeline, not the brand. A few rules of thumb:

1. Newer home in good shape: get an iBuyer offer and an agent's estimate. An iBuyer may come closest to market value, minus its fee. Compare in our iBuyer vs cash investor vs agent guide.
2. Home needs major work, has tenants, or is inherited: investors and marketplaces are usually the realistic option.
3. You have a month or more and the house shows well: listing with an agent will likely net you more. Read cash offer vs listing with an agent.

Whatever you choose, get at least two or three offers and compare your net. Our cash offer calculator shows a typical investor range and how it compares with listing. Learn what to expect in how much cash home buyers pay, and check our scam warning signs before you sign.