Cash offer vs. listing with an agent: the real math on a $300,000 home
Most sellers compare a cash offer to their home’s list price. That’s the wrong comparison. The number that matters is what lands in your bank account after everyone else is paid. Here is the full math on a home that would list for $300,000.
The traditional sale
You list at $300,000. Here is what typically comes out before you see a dollar:
- Agent commission (both sides), ~5.5%: −$16,500
- Seller-paid closing costs, ~1.5% (title, transfer tax, attorney, prorations): −$4,500
- Repairs and prep to make it list-ready — paint, flooring, a few deferred items, ~6%: −$18,000
- Carrying costs for ~90 days on market (mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities): −$7,500
- Price reduction before it sells — the average listing that sells does so below ask, ~2%: −$6,000
Net to you: roughly $247,500 — and that assumes it sells in about three months with no inspection surprises, no buyer financing falling through, and no second price cut.
The cash sale
A cash offer on the same property comes in lower on paper — that is the trade for speed and certainty. But almost none of the deductions above apply:
- No agent commission — the buyer is the principal, not a broker.
- No repairs — the property is bought as-is, condition already priced in.
- No staging, showings, or open houses.
- No carrying costs — close in 7 to 14 days instead of 90+.
- No financing contingency — the funds are committed when the offer is accepted, so the deal does not collapse at week six.
If the cash offer is $255,000, you are ahead of the traditional net — with three fewer months of uncertainty and none of the work.
When each one wins
A traditional listing is usually the higher gross number when the home is already in good condition, you can afford to carry it for months, and you have no deadline. A cash sale wins when the house needs work you don’t want to do, when time or a life event is driving the decision, or when the certainty of a set closing date is worth more than squeezing out the last few percent.