We Buy Houses is a cash home buying company with local franchises in most states. It offers a quick and flexible way to sell almost any home for cash. While We Buy Houses isn’t right for everyone, it stands out among cash buyers for its service quality and high customer satisfaction.
Our We Buy Houses rating
| ⭐️ We Buy Houses: Overall score | 4.5 🟢 |
|---|---|
| Service quality | 5.0 🟢 |
| Offer quality | 4.0 🟡 |
| Customer experience | 4.5 🟢 |
| Credibility | 4.0 🟡 |
We Buy Houses gets high marks for its service quality and positive online reviews. The company offers a quick, all-cash option for selling your house and it’s able to purchase almost any property type. Compared to other major cash buyers, its individual franchisees tend to be honest and transparent.
However, no cash buyer will offer as much as you would get by listing with a real estate agent in a traditional sale, and We Buy Houses is no different. You’ll take a significant cut on your sale price in exchange for the speed and convenience of a cash sale.
We suggest comparing We Buy Houses to other companies that buy houses for cash, which will help you make a more informed decision. We also recommend having a good idea of your home’s market value in order to better compare your offers. You can find the best fit for your needs on your own, with the help of a real estate agent (preferably one who offers lower commission rates), or through a free service like Clever Offers.
Is We Buy Houses right for you?
Pros
- Closing timeline is very flexible and can be done in as quickly as 72 hours.
- Most property types qualify, including those that other investors won’t consider.
- Most locations are able to offer flexible terms.
- Reviews note that investors are honest and transparent.
Cons
- Offers are less than what you’ll get with a real estate agent on the open market.
- Franchise model means service quality will vary depending on location.
- Investing strategy also varies by location, which makes offers hard to predict.
We Buy Houses can be a good option for people who need to sell quickly or are in a difficult situation with their property. For example, We Buy Houses may be worth considering if you:
- Inherited a home out of state
- Need to sell but can’t afford repairs
- Are facing foreclosure
- Have a house in disrepair
- Are dealing with problem tenants
We Buy Houses is highly flexible, so they can usually work with you to find a solution no matter how unique or difficult your current situation may be.
However, We Buy Houses, like most cash buyers, won’t offer you fair market value. If your priority is to get the most money for your home, you’re usually better off selling with a realtor, who can bring in multiple buyers, which should lead to a higher sale price.
The best thing to do is to compare all your options. In some situations, We Buy Houses may be the best choice, but in others, you’ll want a real estate agent, another cash buyer, or even an iBuyer.
Compare multiple offers from trusted cash buyers in your area against the sale price you'd get with an agent. Clever Offers is free to home sellers, and there's no obligation to move forward with an offer or listing. Simply tell us about your property, and we'll do everything we can to get you the best possible offer terms for your home.
We Buy Houses vs. alternatives
Other cash buyers
We Buy Houses is similar to many other cash buyers, such as HomeVestors/We Buy Ugly Houses, as well as iBuyers like Opendoor. The company will make an offer within 48 hours and has a closing time that’s up to you, which is fairly typical for cash buyers and iBuyers.
That speed is the main benefit of these companies. Plus, you don’t have to pay for repairs. However, you won’t make as much with a cash buyer or even an iBuyer as you would with a real estate agent. Where We Buy Houses has a bit of an edge is that they seem to have higher standards for their investors and they have excellent reviews.
However, We Buy Houses is a franchise company, so service quality will vary between each We Buy Houses office. That’s why you should compare multiple offers. Cash offer networks like Clever Offers let you compare multiple cash buyers in your area to help you get a more competitive sale price.
Here’s a look at some of the top cash buyer alternatives to We Buy Houses.
Customer Rating
Service Fee
Time to Close
Why We chose it
Pros and cons
Specifics
Clever Offers helps you find and compare offers from leading cash buyers in your area — all with a proven track record of ethical dealings with home sellers.
Because Clever's network includes local/national investors, iBuyers, and agents with experience listing homes as is, you get a range of offers to choose from — including alternative deal types that deliver a higher payout over time.
The 5-star rated company gets top marks for helping you make an informed decision without pressuring you to move forward. See our full Clever Offers review.
Customer Rating
Service Fee
Time to Close
Why we chose it
Pros and cons
Specifics
Opendoor is for home sellers who want to skip the hassles of a traditional home sale — without sacrificing too much on price.
You can get an initial offer within 24–48 hours, choose your closing date, and skip repairs and showings. The company also pays much closer to market value than traditional house flippers.
Opendoor does charge a 5% service fee, and some customers complain that final offers are lower than initial estimates. See our full Opendoor review.
Customer Rating
Service Fee
Time to Close
Why we chose it
Pros and cons
Specifics
We Buy Ugly Houses / HomeVestors will purchase homes that most other buyers won't. The company makes near-instant offers and it buys homes as-is, so you don’t need to worry about repairs or cleaning.
As a franchise company, service quality can vary between locations. Most locations maintain positive customer ratings, but the company recently received bad press for the questionable sales tactics employed by some of its licensees.
The company's broad availability makes it a viable choice for home sellers with limited options, but we strongly suggest comparing at least 2–3 other offers before entering into a contract. See our full We Buy Ugly Houses review.
Service Fee
Time to Close
Why We chose it
Pros and cons
Specifics
If you’re in a hurry to sell, HomeGo’s same-day cash offer and 7-day closing window make it a compelling option. It also stands out for its leaseback program, which lets you stay in your property after closing if you need extra time.
While HomeGo’s offers, like all cash buyers’, are below market value, online reviews suggest that they’re often better than the competition’s. Many reviews also praise the company for its customer service.
But if you own a house in good condition, you’ll likely find a better deal elsewhere. See our full HomeGo review.
Traditional realtor listing
We Buy Houses doesn't hide the fact that you'll probably make more money fixing up your house and selling it with the help of a real estate agent. By listing on the open market with a realtor, you’ll get more competition for your home, which can help get you top dollar.
The advantages We Buy Houses offer over traditional real estate agents is that you’ll get an all-cash offer with no contingencies and you can close on your own timeline. They'll also purchase your house as-is, do all of the repairs themselves, and cover the closing costs.
Even if you think We Buy Houses is the best choice, there’s no risk in talking to a real estate agent first. You may also want to consider a discount real estate broker, who can offer all of the same services as a traditional real estate agent, but with a reduced commission. That way you can keep more money in your pocket while still potentially getting a good sale price.
In-depth We Buy Houses review
Service quality
| 📊 Our rating: 5/5 |
We Buy Houses gets excellent marks for its service quality. Multiple reviews mention that representatives were courteous, flexible, and clearly explained the process upfront. The company seems to be especially willing to adapt to customer’s unique situations and timelines and doesn’t appear to apply high-pressure sales tactics.
Igor Avratiner, a licensee for We Buy Houses in Philadelphia, told us he’s upfront with potential sellers that the company isn’t the right solution for everyone: “If your house is going to be purchased by an investor regardless, then you should definitely call a company like ours. But if your house is probably going to be purchased by a homeowner, then you're probably better off just listing the house and seeing if you can get more for it.”
It’s important to stress that We Buy Houses is a franchise company, so each location is owned by a different real estate investor. Each franchise has a lot of independence in how it operates, so the service you receive will vary depending on your location.
However, Avratiner points out that We Buy Houses is proactive in discouraging franchisees from engaging in unethical business practices.
As an example, he says that the company’s head of marketing called him once because they had received a complaint about his office sending out unsolicited text messages. The text messages weren’t from his office and most likely came from a similarly named company. But the fact that We Buy Houses called him directly to address the issue, he says, shows that “integrity, and not tarnishing the brand is [...] the number one priority.”
How does We Buy Houses work?
- Submit a form on the company’s website. Alternatively, you can call We Buy Houses directly.
- Provide information about your house, including:
- Address
- Approximate asking price
- Reason for selling
- Number of bedrooms
- Whether or not you're working with a listing agent
- Whether or not the property is occupied
- A local We Buy Houses real estate investor will follow up to get more details about your property and schedule a time to visit in person.
- We Buy Houses will present you with an all-cash offer, often on the same day as the in-person visit and usually within 24-48 hours of first contacting the company. This is a no-obligation offer and you’re free to turn it down.
- If you accept the offer, you can work with the investor to choose a closing date, which can be done in as quickly as 72 hours.
- You’ll receive the funds from the sale upon closing. Closing costs are covered by We Buy Houses.
Offer quality
📊 Our rating: 4/5
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We Buy Houses gets good marks for its offer quality. While the company doesn't offer the same as you'd get with a traditional home sale, they are particularly flexible with the terms of their offers. People who are selling to a cash buyer are often doing so because they are in a difficult financial situation or need to move quickly, so flexibility is often just as — or even more important than — the dollar amount.
We Buy Houses purchases properties that other real estate investors often won’t, including teardowns, properties with problem tenants, and homes with hoarding situations. Other cash buyers, especially iBuyers, tend to be more restrictive about purchasing properties that need work.
We Buy Houses also tends to be more flexible in terms of the types of offers they make. Multiple We Buy Houses representatives told us that while most of their deals are cash offers, they’ll also do novation agreements, wraparound mortgages, seller financing, short sales, and lease options.
Wholesaling appears to be uncommon with We Buy Houses, which we consider a positive sign for its offer quality. Wholesalers — a type of middle people between sellers and the final investor — can be useful in some situations, but they have a reputation for deceitful practices and deals falling through at the last minute. In 2023, ProPublica found that We Buy Houses’ main competitor, HomeVestors of America (i.e., We Buy Ugly Houses), was encouraging its franchise owners to wholesale heavily, which often left sellers with less money and exposed to more risk.
Avratiner says that We Buy Houses doesn’t pressure its members into wholesaling. “I've met many [other We Buy Houses licensees] over the years at conferences and at meetings and stuff,” he says. “I think most [of them] are just doing what I'm doing. They're not wholesaling. They're buying. They have crews working and renovating. I don't know about all, maybe not 100%. But that’s what it tends to be.”
How much does We Buy Houses pay?
The amount We Buy Houses pays for houses varies depending on many factors. Most cash investors tend to offer no more than 70% of a property's potential post-renovation value, minus estimated repair costs. However, We Buy Houses doesn’t seem to have a set formula and it will largely be up to its local investors to decide how much to offer.
Avratiner, for example, says that he’s never used 70% as a guideline. Instead, he says, “our sweet spot is probably houses that we're going to fix up and that we’ll wind up selling for between two and three hundred thousand dollars.”
Aside from the repair costs, other factors that will affect how much a We Buy Houses investor may offer include:
- Location
- Time to repair and resell
- Whether there are tenants
- Liens on the property
- Whether safety factors prevent an in-person inspection
Also, We Buy Houses is not exclusively a house flipping company and some local offices are buy and hold investors. In general, investors who plan to hold onto and rent out the property offer more than those who plan to resell quickly.
Keep in mind that We Buy Houses will cover the repair costs and you probably won’t have to pay a real estate agent commission, which helps negate some of the dip in price.
What types of homes do We Buy Houses buy?
We Buy Houses will buy most types of properties, including single-family homes, multi-family properties, rentals, and fix-and-flips. Some local We Buy Houses investors will also purchase commercial properties and mobile/manufactured homes.
The company is extremely flexible about purchasing properties in challenging situations, including:
- Delinquent taxes/liens
- Foreclosure
- Seller owes more on the house it's worth
- Probate home sales
- Poor location (high crime, depreciating value, etc.)
- Problem tenants
- Structure or foundation issues
- Outdated electrical, plumbing, or HVAC systems
- Extremely distressed properties
This flexibility is typical for traditional real estate investors. However, it does stand in contrast to iBuyers, who tend to have strict requirements about which homes they’ll buy.
Customer reviews
📊 Our rating: 4.5/5
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We Buy Houses reviews are mostly positive. The company has an average customer rating of 4.6/5 based on 307 total reviews across the Better Business Bureau, Google, and Yelp. Many positive reviews highlight the ease of getting an offer, the honesty and transparency of the company’s investors, and how flexible We Buy Houses was when dealing with unique and challenging properties.
As mentioned above, we found a handful of negative We Buy Houses reviews complaining of unsolicited phone calls, but we suspect that these reviews were meant for different, but similarly named, companies. Multiple We Buy Houses’ franchise owners said they don’t engage in unsolicited phone contact.
✅ Customers feel offers are usually fair
A number of reviews highlighted that We Buy Houses’ offers seemed fair. While the company won’t pay full market value for properties, sellers felt that the final sale price was reasonable given the flexible closing time and condition of the properties.
For example, customer Angela S. said in January 2024, “I had a great experience with this business. The process was simple and I received a fair offer for the estate home I was selling. I absolutely recommend We Buy Houses if you need to sell a house.”
Other positive reviews noted that the offers covered closing costs and there was no realtor commission. For example, this customer said in summer 2023, “I was a little worried going into a deal, but I was pleasantly surprised. Bob and I talked and he made an offer that was equal to what the Realtor told us it would sell quickly for, with no Realtor fees, and no leaving the house for showings!!!”
✅ Service quality is often high
Many positive reviews highlighted the service quality, especially how quickly offers were made and the ease of the entire selling process.
For example, seller Dennis W. said in 2022, “Steve made the process of selling my family home in a very smoothless, professional, prompt manner. Quick, efficient and pleasant professional to do business with. I would definitely recommend him to anyone.”
Similarly, other customers noted that We Buy Houses was able to provide good quality service even in challenging situations.
For example, sellers Bishop and Mandie H. said in late 2023, “My mom was diagnosed with Cancer and needed to go to hospice. All of my siblings have disabilities. [We Buy Houses] came to my mom's home and took care of everything with her even though I live an hour away. They took great care of her and we're very patient with her and made sure that she was accommodated.”
✅ Good marks for honesty and transparency
We Buy Houses appears to have a good track record of being honest and transparent with sellers. Many positive reviews stated that people at the company were upfront about the process and how offers were determined.
For example, customer Teri L. said in early 2024, “My mom’s house needed a lot of work that I just didn’t have the time for and I reached out to Matt to see what a cash offer would look like. I worked directly with Matt the entire time and he was very open and honest throughout the entire process.”
Similarly, Justin M. said in early 2023, “Robbie was wonderful to work with. He was upfront and honest and was able to beat all competing offers. He made himself readily available for any questions I had. I can't imagine the process of selling a home going more smoothly or being more effortless. If you want a quick sale for a fair price give him a call.”
We stress, however, that We Buy Houses is a franchise company and each location operates independently. Your experience will depend on the local franchise you work with.
✅ Excellent flexibility for challenging situations
We Buy Houses is often noted for being extremely flexible with sellers, including in situations that might scare away other real estate investors, such as problem tenants and major repair issues.
For instance, Eric L. said in 2023, “The experience with them was fantastic. I live out of state and had a tenant that lived in the property. There were a few issues with the tenant leaving some things behind but they worked with me and we came up with a resolution. I received payment from them incredibly fast after everything was signed and submitted!”
A number of sellers also said that We Buy Houses was flexible with the closing date. The company can close in as fast as 72 hours, while also offering more extended closing timelines.
That was Zhitem V.’s experience: “From the moment we called Omri to come and look at my mom's distressed property, he was forthcoming with tips and advice about the process. Even before we signed a contract with him he was very helpful. He kept great contact with us during the entire escrow process, and even through an extended closing date he was understanding and waited patiently for things to clear up before closing.”
Credibility
📊 Our rating: 4/5
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We Buy Houses gets very good marks in terms of credibility. It is a well-established company and most reviews online are highly positive. The individual We Buy Houses investors we spoke to were transparent about their business model. Customers regularly say they felt that We Buy Houses was true to its word, explained how they arrived at their offers, and didn’t engage in any high-pressure or bait-and-switch tactics.
However, as a franchise company, each individual We Buy Houses location operates with a great deal of independence. This independence is useful in some ways, since it allows local investors to adapt to the local market. However, it also means that quality standards and professionalism will vary depending on your location.
That said, We Buy Houses does appear to hold individual franchisees accountable and does better than other franchise cash buyers at trying to maintain its brand integrity. We also noted that during the research for this review, We Buy Houses was much more willing to answer our questions than other large cash buyer companies were, which we take as a positive sign.
Locations
We Buy Houses has offices in close to 300 cities in 32 states plus the District of Columbia. [1] The brand continues to grow as new or existing investors can purchase a license in any territory that isn't currently under a license.We Buy Houses offices can be found in:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
FAQ about We Buy Houses reviews
Are companies that offer cash to buy houses legitimate?
Cash buyers are often legitimate businesses, although they'll pay a lot less for your house than you'd get on the open market — typically 55–70% of your home’s value after repairs. Before working with a company, vet them by researching them online and reading customer reviews. If you want to avoid leaving a lot of money on the table, your best option is to find a real estate agent who can adjust their approach based on how quickly you need to sell.
Is We Buy Houses a rip-off?
We Buy Houses is a legitimate cash buyer with licensed real estate investors in all 50 states. Like any cash buyer, We Buy Houses will make a cash offer on your home in its current condition. In exchange for a swift, all-cash closing, you should expect an offer that's up to only 70% of your home's fair market value.
How much does We Buy Houses pay?
Cash buyers pay substantially less than what your house might fetch on the open market, generally no more than 70% of what the property is worth. If your home needs significant repairs and you want to sell quickly, you may find a cash offer appealing. But you could get a fairer price while still selling quickly with one of the top alternatives to We Buy Houses.
Can We Buy Houses buy a home before foreclosure?
If you're facing foreclosure, We Buy Houses can purchase your home before the foreclosure has been finalized. We Buy Houses might purchase your home for less than what's owed on the mortgage (known as a "short sale"), but your mortgage lender will have to agree to the purchase.
Who owns We Buy Houses?
Each franchise of the company is individually owned and operated by a local investor, whom the company vets and licenses. The CEO of the company is Jeremy Brandt, who owns and operates several national cash-buyer real estate companies.
What's the fastest way to sell a house?
You can sell a home quickly by working with a cash buyer, an iBuyer, or a real estate agent with experience selling homes as is.
Methodology
We evaluate each company that buys houses for cash based on four core criteria and create a weighted score:
- Service quality (30% of final score)
- Offer quality (20% of final score)
- Customer reviews (30% of final score)
- Credibility (20% of final score)
Service quality
Customer experience. We rely on secret shopping and fact-checking interviews with company representatives to look for indicators that the company is professional, communicative, customer-focused, and ethical in its dealings with customers. We verify this information against customer reviews and interviews with past customers or professionals (realtors, former employees) who have had direct experience working with the brand.
Offer quality
Price. While nearly all cash buyers pay less than market value for homes, we look at how competitive the company's offers are compared to similar companies.
Purchase criteria. We also look at the company's purchase criteria to see how flexible and accommodating they are in making offers. Companies that offer a fair price for homes that other buyers won't purchase can still get a high rating for offer quality.
Customer reviews
Review analysis. We perform an in-depth analysis of all the available customer reviews to determine trends. We break down the reviews by customer type, sentiment, and filter out spam reviews to determine our rating.
Company responsiveness. Negative reviews are part of doing business; however, we take note of whether a company is actively involved in resolving customer complaints.
Credibility
Trust signals. We look at how long the company has been in business, the number of verified customer reviews it has, how willing the company was to answer questions about their business model when we contacted them, and how easy it is to find detailed information on their website — including the names and contact details of specific team members. We also look at customer reviews indicating whether the company acts with honesty and integrity in their business dealings.
