Should I sell my house for cash or list it with a realtor?

List with a realtor if your house is move-in ready and you have time to wait for a buyer, because buyers with a mortgage usually pay the most for a house in good shape. Take a cash offer if the house needs work, you need a certain closing date, or you'd rather skip repairs and a buyer's loan that can fall through, and compare the two by what you'd take home, not by the price.

By Andy Rong

Published October 28, 2026

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws change and every situation is different, so check yours with a professional.

How is a cash sale different from a listing?

When you list, an agent markets the house, you keep it ready for showings, and most buyers pay with a mortgage. After you accept an offer, the buyer's inspector looks for repairs, the lender's appraiser checks the price, and the loan has to be approved before closing. Each of those steps can lower the price or delay the sale.

When you sell for cash, the buyer pays without a loan. There's no appraisal or loan approval, and many cash buyers buy the house as it is, so you don't fix or clean anything first. Cash buyers aren't rare: 27% of buyers paid cash in the agents' survey the National Association of Realtors published in October 2026.

How do I compare a cash offer with a listing?

Compare what you'd take home from each, after everything is paid. For a listing, start from the price similar homes nearby sold for, then subtract:

• Your agent's commission, and any amount you agree to pay toward the buyer's agent.
• Your share of the closing costs, including any transfer tax your state charges (below).
• Repairs, cleaning and staging to get the house ready to list.
• The mortgage, property taxes, insurance and utilities for each month the house is for sale.
• Repairs or credits the buyer asks for after the inspection.

For a cash offer, start from the offer and subtract only the costs the buyer doesn't pay. Ask each buyer for the costs in writing. Then compare the two totals, and weigh the dates: the cash sale's closing date is usually fixed, while a listing's depends on finding a buyer and on that buyer's loan.

What changed about realtor commissions?

Commissions have always been negotiable, and the way they're offered changed on August 17, 2024. Under the National Association of Realtors' settlement, an offer to pay the buyer's agent can no longer be posted on the MLS, though a seller can still agree to pay one, and your agent has to disclose any such payment to you in writing and get your approval first (NAR's guide for sellers).

So when you list, ask your agent what they charge, and decide separately whether you'll offer anything toward a buyer's agent. Both are lines on your side of the comparison.

Which states charge a transfer tax when a house sells?

Some states tax the deed when a house changes hands. It's charged whichever way you sell, so it belongs in both columns, and your contract says who pays it. Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and North Carolina charge one; in the other states where Covent buys, ask your title company whether any transfer fee applies.

When does listing make more sense?

• The house is in good shape, or a few small repairs would make it move-in ready.
• You can keep paying the mortgage, taxes and insurance while it's on the market.
• Your closing date can move if the buyer's loan runs late.
• Homes like yours are selling quickly in your area.

When does a cash sale make more sense?

• The house needs major repairs that would stop a buyer's lender, like a failing roof or foundation problems.
• You need a closing date you can count on: a move, a foreclosure date, a divorce or an estate to settle.
• You don't want to pay for repairs and months of upkeep before you know the price.
• The house didn't sell when it was listed.

Can I list my house and still take a cash offer?

Yes. A listed house can be sold to any buyer, including a cash buyer. If you signed a listing agreement, read it first: most promise your agent a commission if the house sells during the listing period, whoever the buyer is. Ask your agent to bring you cash offers alongside the others.

About the author

Andy Rong

Andy Rong leads Covent Homes, which buys houses for cash, as-is, from homeowners in Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, and North Carolina.

Andy writes these guides to answer the questions homeowners ask before they sell, in plain words, with a public source for every fact and number.

Andy isn't a lawyer, an accountant or a financial adviser. The guides give general information, and each one says when it's time to talk to one.