“Many changes have been happening in the real estate market in the last few years. Companies have come up with many new ways to buy your home. As someone looking to sell your home, the most relevant choice is what I call the “old vs. new” or “We Buy Houses As Is vs. iBuyers”. Now, iBuyers have given the public the idea that their way is more convenient and faster, but they give you fluctuating offers, unexpected fees, and portray themselves as the buyer. I explain why I believe selling to my company, We Buy Houses As IS, is a great alternative. And most importantly, why it is crucial that you know who the buyer is.
Throughout this pandemic, it’s been “scary hours” for many iBuyer companies. These companies pulled out of specific markets, stopped buying homes altogether, only wanted to buy “nicer” homes, and fiddled around with their algorithms to ensure their investors didn’t lose money. Companies showed they cared more about their investors, and not homeowners looking to sell. Scary.
I believe that homeowners should be able to get a FAIR and completely TRANSPARENT ALL-CASH offer for their home from a human being, someone they trust, in less than 24 hours. Makes sense; doesn’t it? Doesn’t seem like an extraordinary perk. This should be the way EVERYONE buys homes.
Simple human-to-human interaction.
But apparently, according to these iBuyer companies, it’s not. That’s why I started We Buy Houses As Is.
A platform which you get to speak to someone who is buying your home directly. No banks, robots, receptionists, salespeople, or agents — just us.
NO. CHAINS. ATTACHED.
Selling your home shouldn’t be like buying a pair of jeans on Amazon. It is also a monumental part of people’s lives. That’s why we believe in/operator on a three-step simple, honest, and fair model.
Through the subtle changes we have witnessed these last few years, I expect the real estate industry to keep innovating.”
Understanding iBuyer Platforms
The real estate market has been disrupted by iBuyer platforms that leverage the best technology to simplify home sales. Offerpad, Opendoor, and others have become the tech-forward platforms where complex property value algorithms equate to instant cash offers for sellers. For many sellers, this instant cash offer experience offers reprieve from a wild market — they don’t have to worry about listing their house or trying to negotiate through aggressive buyers who made showings a logistical nightmare amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The first advantage to come to mind for an iBuyer platform is that you can quickly handle the transaction. Simply put, you can sell your house in matters of days, with some closing as quickly as seven days after the offer call. For you, that’s an(other) on-demand service, the so-called one-click home sale that produces a stack of cash waiting to be transferred into your bank account. But there’s a rub: behind that big-dollar offer, there’s an equally large fee waiting to be paid. What’s more, a take-it-or-leave-it clause will apply. And, you’ll probably be better off leaving it.
Despite the digitization of every document in the transaction, the personal touch that is so necessary for developing seller empowerment at the time is removed from the equation, with the iBuyer substituted in. For many agents, seller relationships are the reasons they entered real estate in the first place, because the conversations that surround deal-making, the gradual conversations that lead up to the largest transaction that most people will ever make, can be empowering experiences. Agents impact homeowners’ lives; homeowners always remember how agents help them get around.
That said, it’s worth bearing in mind that an iBuyer platform solution is not the right solution for every seller in the market. A ‘digital divide’ may be steadily creeping in, where sellers should be aware of the upfront charges and the cynical nature of an individual who claims to be from an iBuyer platform, given contractor biz models and opportunistic marketing. Seek to understand the person behind the role on the call as well, because not everyone can be a star player at the time of the call, right?
The Benefits of Selling to We Buy House As Is
“We Buy House As Is” isn’t your typical iBuyer platform. Beyond the technology, it relies on its people to help make the process more empathetic and easier to navigate.
Like any other experience (even buying shoes!), it’s essential to have real people to connect with, ask questions to, and to simply engage. Being able to operate at a high level of empathy ultimately drives your confidence in knowing the unique steps of this operation.
The other novelty in this model is that you can sell your house to We Buy House’s As Is without ever having to worry about repairs or unexpected costs. Costs that sometimes come up, like staging your house for buyers to come tour, making any necessary repairs. And come on: homeowners spend their entire lives personalizing their house, and the last thing they want to do is “un-lived” and “logout” of their homes for buyers to come see. Preparation for this ultimately eats into their timeline.
Transparency is also ensured. You will always know where your homes stand in our funnel and know exactly what kind of offer to expect. As we mentioned, there is freedom from the common repairs and staging costs that typical homeowners experience.
Safety and Security in Real Estate Transactions
“We Buy House As Is” shines a beacon of truth in an increasingly iBuyer-dominated real estate landscape.
One thing you will not have to deal with when looking to sell your home for cash on iBuyer-dominated platforms is the electrifyingly anxious feeling that you could be getting scammed. It’s a big deal, and definitely a luxury to not have for those of us who are not as entirely familiar as we would like to be with the real estate industry, and may even be a little clearer on how to move once we’ve been scammed.
The best house flippers will be the first to admit that online buying platforms are not that bad, and can even secure the best local business if they already know the area very well. Always.
Customer Testimonials and Success Stories
“A lot of relief and satisfaction” – is what many homeowners report once they sell their property to We Buy House As Is. Why?
• Our process, though not overnight, is quick. A traditional home sale – can take months to years. For anyone going through job relocation, divorce, unwanted inherited property… there’s only one answer: sell fast!
• We buy your house as-is – that’s right. You don’t have to spend any extra time or money on renovations.
• At the end of the day – this is a simple sales transaction. Don’t diminish the hard work behind getting this sale pushed through at a high level. However, for whomever our service is right for – they will thank us.
Now, let’s review how homeowners perceive selling to an iBuyer.
“That was the worst experience ever. I wanted to rip my hair out… and I’m already balding.”
Or…
“They fed us through a computer program, and their customer service was non-existent.”
Yikes! Definitely not the best reviews are they? You see, I was not kidding when I said they were a bit computerized.
• Many iBuyer platforms promise you a quick sale. However, browse through many of the forums at any review site. The order of operations is precisely the same:
- Visit a website
- Follow the correct link that leads the user to an application.
- Wait for 24-48 hours to receive a “no-obligation offer.” The selling price for this offer is relatively low.
- Watch yourself get charged fee after fee as your price slowly starts to sink even lower.
P.S. All of the work completed by the iOffer sales team consists of completing the exact same app above that our direct home buying team also uses. So why waste your time with a middleman?”
Selling your home can seem very challenging, but the We Buy House As Is team makes it so much easier. iBuyer platforms use algorithms to figure out a home’s worth, but the We Buy House As Is team makes a personal connection: our proposal is based on your personal situation. Our team will walk you through the process in order to explain the most important aspects of how our service works.
The strategies listed above are meant to provide a starting point for your home selling process. Depending on the trends in your local market, some of these tips may not work, and others may work better than you could have ever expected. The next best step
What do you need to sell your house? Not renovations or repairs! You’re able to sell your home for cash without these costly and time-consuming aspects of the home selling process. For homeowners needing to sell their house “as is,” you’ll be able to do just that—sell your home for cash. You won’t have this opportunity when listing your home on the market, but with the We Buy House As Is team on your side, you won’t have to do any prep work related to the upcoming home sale.
Call us at 206-291-6117 to learn more about who we are and why you should work with us. We’re here to help homeowners begin the next chapter of their lives, whether that involves downsizing, saving heirs from having to manage real estate, or other reasons like moving on from an inherited property.