A direct offer is lower than a retail list price. It's also not competing against a retail list price — it's competing against what a relist actually nets, months from now.
A list price is a hope. A net sheet is a fact. If you haven't yet, read why the first listing stalled — the reason usually decides this comparison. When you compare a direct offer against a relist, compare it against the relist's net — after commission, after the repair credit the inspection will demand, after the months of payments while it sits, and discounted for the real chance the deal falls through and you start over. Here's the honest grid.
| Factor | Relist with an Agent | Direct Sale to Us |
|---|---|---|
| Time to close | Typically 3–6 months including marketing, contract, and a 30–45 day lender escrow | About 1–3 weeks once title is clear; you pick the date |
| Commission | Roughly 5–6% of sale price split across both sides | None |
| Repairs & credits | Inspection repair demands or price credits are the norm on older systems | As-is; we price the condition into the offer |
| Showings & staging | Ongoing; house must be show-ready and often vacant on weekends | One walkthrough |
| Appraisal risk | Buyer's lender can appraise low and reopen negotiations | No lender, no appraisal |
| Fall-through risk | Financing, inspection, and buyer cold feet all cancel deals | Low; we're the buyer and the funds |
| Carrying costs while waiting | Mortgage, taxes, insurance, HOA, utilities, landscaping every month it sits | Stops at closing, weeks out |
| Low or no equity | Seller may bring money to closing | Subject-to structure avoids a check at closing |
| Headline price | Higher | Lower — it's a wholesale price for certainty and speed |
Take a Spring Valley house relisted at $450,000 after an expired listing. Say it eventually contracts at $435,000 after ninety days. Six percent commission is about $26,000. The inspection turns up the aging roof and the buyer wants a $12,000 credit. Four months of carrying costs at roughly $3,200 a month is another $12,800. Seller closing costs run a few thousand more. The net before payoff lands somewhere around $381,000 — if the deal holds together, and roughly one in five doesn't.
A direct cash offer on that same house might come in around $385,000 as-is. No commission, no credit, no four months of payments, and a closing date three weeks out. The headline is $65,000 lower than the list price. The net is about the same — and it's certain, and it's now. Every property is different, and we'll build this sheet for yours with real figures on the call.
Strong equity, a house in genuinely good condition, no urgency, and a stall that was clearly about price. In that case a relist at a realistic number will likely net you more, and we'll say so. We've told plenty of sellers to relist. It's the reason the ones who do call us back trust the number.
Tired systems, tight or negative equity, a two-week close instead of a two-season one, a vacant house you're carrying (see what that costs), a tenant, a deadline, or a listing history that's already poisoned the well. If you're reading this after your listing expired, odds are at least one of those applies.
Give Alex the address and the rough payoff. We'll run both columns with real numbers and send them to you in writing.
(725) 255-4354We don't step around an agent. If your home is under an exclusive listing agreement right now, you have two clean options: wait for the agreement to end and call us the day after, or ask your agent to present our written offer as a backup. Either way you stay clear of commission disputes and procuring-cause claims, and your relationship with your agent stays intact. If the listing has already expired, was withdrawn, or you're selling on your own, you're in the right place — reach out today.
One call gets you a written direct offer to hold up against the relist math. No obligation either way.