iBuyer vs Cash Home Buyer vs Listing in California

Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team.

California sellers have three realistic routes: sell to an iBuyer such as Opendoor, sell to a local cash buyer, or list with an agent. They differ on price, fees, speed, repairs and certainty. This guide compares them using each company’s own published process pages and California statutes, and it does not rank them for you.

We are a local cash home buyer, so we have an interest in this question. That is why every claim about a named company below comes from that company’s own page, and we only say what the page says. Confirm current terms, fees and whether a company buys in your city directly with it.

The three routes at a glance

iBuyer (Opendoor example)	Online offer from photos and data, usually in a few days; closing 21 to 60 days after you accept; a service charge and a condition adjustment shown in the offer breakdown (Opendoor’s own pages)
Local cash buyer	Direct offer for the house as it stands, often after a short visit; no agent, listing or showings; closing date set in the contract; terms differ by buyer, so ask for them in writing
List with an agent	Listing agreement, showings, buyer financing and appraisal; commission negotiated with your broker; closing depends on the buyer
Who pays repairs	iBuyer: priced into a condition adjustment. Cash buyer: priced into the offer. Listing: you, or credits you negotiate
California disclosures	Required on any sale of 1 to 4 residential units, whoever the buyer is (Civil Code 1102 and following)

How an iBuyer offer works

Opendoor’s page describes the sequence: you enter your address, answer questions about the home, and take guided photos with its app. Local pricing staff review the photos and details, and it says offers are typically finalized within a few days, with an offer valid for five days.

Its pricing rests on your home’s details, recent sales of similar homes and market data, including how long homes are taking to sell.

After you are under contract, it says it makes a final diligence visit to measure rooms and check major systems. It states that issues it finds in the assessment are factored into the offer as a condition adjustment, and that this adjustment helps cover its costs to prepare, maintain and resell the home.

What an iBuyer charges

Opendoor’s help center says its service charge is the fee for buying, holding and reselling the home, that it varies by offer, and that it does not publish a fixed percentage.

The exact amount appears as a line in your offer breakdown, next to estimated standard closing costs and your net proceeds. Its help pages also say you may pay a fee for a closing date beyond 30 days.

Because the number differs per offer, the only reliable way to compare is to put the net proceeds figure beside the other routes.

What a listing costs

The California Department of Real Estate says agent commission rates are negotiable and cites a typical range of 4 to 6 percent of the price, split between the buyer’s and the seller’s agent, usually paid at closing by the seller.

California Business and Professions Code section 10147.5 requires a notice that commissions are not fixed by law and may be negotiable between the seller and broker.

Beyond commission, listing sellers also face prep, staging, repairs, carrying costs while the home is on the market, and possible repair requests after the buyer’s inspection. Our seller closing costs guide and home selling costs report break down the usual line items.

Where a local cash buyer fits

A local cash buyer buys the house as it is, so there is no listing prep and no financing contingency. That suits houses with deferred maintenance, fire or water damage, tenants, probate or code problems, which instant-offer platforms and conventional buyers may price steeply or decline.

Our all-cash buyers report and as-is sale report show how common cash and as-is sales are in the state. Expect an offer below a fully repaired retail sale, because the buyer takes on the repairs, holding time and risk. How much below is the question to answer with real numbers.

A fair way to compare offers

• Ask each buyer for a written offer that shows every deduction, then compare net proceeds, not the headline price.
• Count what a listing would cost you: commission, concessions, repairs, staging, mortgage payments and taxes during the listing period.
• Ask for the closing date options and any fee for a later date.
• Ask what happens if the buyer wants to renegotiate after an inspection, and whether you can cancel and what you would owe.
• Check that the buyer will close with a licensed escrow and title company, and that the contract states who pays which closing cost.

Disclosures apply to every route

Civil Code section 1102 and the related sections require sellers of one to four residential units to deliver a Transfer Disclosure Statement, and the natural hazard disclosure applies separately.

Selling to a company instead of an individual does not cancel your duty to answer truthfully about known problems, and our natural hazard disclosure guide and as-is and unpermitted work guide explain what that means in practice. Selling as-is does not remove disclosure.

Taxes and withholding

Your tax result depends on your basis, how long you lived in the home, and exclusions that may apply, not on who the buyer is. See our capital gains guide and, for sellers who live out of state, the Form 593 withholding guide.

When each route usually makes sense

• Listing tends to fit a move-in-ready home, a seller with months to spare, and a market where buyers are competing.
• An iBuyer tends to fit a fairly standard home in good condition, where the seller values a scheduled date and fewer showings, if the company buys in that area.
• A local cash buyer tends to fit a home that needs work, a sale with a hard deadline, a foreclosure, probate or tenant situation, or a seller who wants no repairs and no showings. See the foreclosure timeline guide if a sale date is looming.

How to sell a house in California

1. Request a written offer from each route you are considering, showing all deductions.
2. Compare net proceeds, including repairs, commission and carrying costs.
3. Gather your disclosure paperwork and any permits or notices.
4. Request a no-obligation cash offer for the house as it stands.
5. Choose your closing date and open escrow.

See our Los Angeles County and Orange County hubs, or browse all California guides.

Frequently asked questions

Is an iBuyer the same as a cash home buyer?

Both pay without a mortgage contingency, but an iBuyer is a large online platform that prices from photos and data and lists the home for resale, while a local cash buyer usually makes a direct offer for the house as it stands. Terms differ, so compare written offers.

Does Opendoor charge a fee?

Its help center says it charges a service charge that varies by offer, that it does not publish a fixed percentage, and that the amount appears in your offer breakdown, alongside standard closing costs and any condition adjustment.

How long does an iBuyer sale take?

Opendoor says offers are typically finalized within a few days and that you choose a closing date 21 to 60 days after accepting, with possible charges beyond 30 days.

Are real estate commissions fixed in California?

No. The Department of Real Estate says commission rates are negotiable, and state law requires a notice that they are not fixed by law.

Do I still have to disclose problems if I sell to a cash buyer?

Yes. California’s disclosure rules for one to four residential units apply to the sale regardless of the buyer, and as-is does not remove them.

Will a cash buyer pay as much as a listing?

Usually not on price alone, because the buyer takes the repairs, holding time and risk. Compare net proceeds after commission, repairs, carrying costs and time.

Does Opendoor buy in every California city?

We cannot confirm that. Check Opendoor’s own site for your address before planning around it.

More guides

• California Prop 13 Reassessment Guide
• California Seller Closing Costs Guide
• California All-Cash Home Buyers Report
• California As-Is Home Sale Report
• Selling As-Is with Unpermitted Work
• We Buy Houses in Los Angeles
• We Buy Houses in San Diego
• We Buy Houses in Sacramento
• All California Guides

Sources

• Opendoor: How selling works
• Opendoor Help: What is Opendoor’s service charge?
• Opendoor Help: What’s included in my offer?
• California Department of Real Estate: First-time home buyers (commissions)
• Business and Professions Code 10147.5
• Civil Code 1102: Transfer disclosures
• California DRE RE 6: Disclosures in real property transactions

This guide is general information from public sources, not legal advice. Confirm current rules, fees and hours with the city.