The three routes side by side
These are typical patterns, not guarantees. Your house and your offers will differ.
| iBuyer | Local cash buyer or investor | Listing with an agent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed to an offer | Opendoor says an offer comes within 24 hours to a few days, after photos or a walk-through | Often within days after a walk-through | Prep, then weeks of marketing |
| Time to close | Opendoor says 21 to 60+ days, your choice | Often 2 to 4 weeks if the buyer has the cash and no contingencies | Roughly 30 to 45 days after the buyer's offer is accepted, plus time on the market |
| Price vs market value | Reported about 9% to 11% below value, shown as price minus a service fee and repair credits | Reported about 15% to 30% below on houses needing work; closer on clean houses | Whatever the market pays; competing buyers set the price |
| Fees | Service fee varies by offer, plus closing costs | Usually none to you; ask about all fees | Commission about 5.0% to 5.5% total, negotiable, plus prep |
| Certainty | High once the offer is final, but the final offer can change after inspection | High with proof of funds; check contingencies | Depends on the buyer's loan and inspection |
| Condition | Works best on houses that are easy to value | Buys as-is, including rough houses | Best when the house shows well; repairs and cleaning help |
| Showings | One inspection visit | One or two walk-throughs | Several, over weeks |
Opendoor's speed and timing figures, and the 30 to 45 day closing estimate for a listing, are from its own marketing pages, which are an interest. The price and commission ranges are from industry blogs (see the cash buyer guide for who wrote them) and ShowSmartly. Check the dates in the sources.
Which iBuyers serve Greater Boston in 2026
We checked each company's own pages on October 7, 2026.
- Opendoor: yes. Its Boston page offers cash offers for Boston and names Brighton, Plymouth, Springfield, Weymouth and Worcester as other Massachusetts cities. It does not list Melrose, Malden, Medford, Stoneham, Wakefield, Saugus, Lynn or Peabody by name, so whether it will bid on a specific address is shown only after you enter it.
- Offerpad: not found. Its facts page says it serves 16 metros in 9 states and names Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbia, Columbus, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh and Tampa. Massachusetts and Boston are not mentioned. Offerpad's Locations page would show current coverage; we could not open the Offerpad site directly, only a summary of the facts page.
- Zillow Offers: closed. Zillow's board decided on November 2, 2021 to wind down Zillow Offers (Zillow 10-K).
- Others: we did not verify any other iBuyer in Greater Boston, so we do not list any. Coverage changes often; check each company's site for your address.
Why the short list? A study of iBuyers by Buchak, Matvos, Piskorski and Seru (NBER Working Paper 28252) found that iBuyers earn a gross spread, and that fast, algorithmic offers work best in liquid markets with houses that are easy to value. Unusual or run-down houses are where the offer gets lower or unavailable.
How an iBuyer offer is built
Opendoor says its service fee "varies by market and property and is shown up front in each seller's offer" and that it does not publish a fixed percentage (Opendoor, updated Apr. 20, 2026). Its own worked example uses an illustrative 5% fee ($17,500 on a $350,000 offer) plus a $5,000 repair credit and about 2% closing costs. Those are example numbers, not a quote.
So read the offer as: offer price, minus service fee, minus repair credits, minus closing costs. Compare that net with what you would keep after listing, using the net proceeds calculator. Remember that Massachusetts sellers normally pay the deeds excise tax of $4.56 per $1,000 on either route (MGL c.64D s.1).
Questions to ask any iBuyer or investor before you accept
- Is this offer final, or can it drop after your inspection? What would cause a drop, and by how much (a cap or a list of items)?
- What is the service fee in dollars, and what other costs come out at closing? Ask for a written net-to-seller figure.
- Can I cancel without penalty before closing, and is any deposit refundable?
- Who is the closing attorney or title company, and can my own attorney review the contract first?
- Can I choose the closing date, and can I stay a few days after closing if I need to?
Write the answers down for every offer, including the listing agent's. The worksheet in our cash offer guide has a column for each.
Which one fits which situation
- You need to close by a hard date (relocation, a new house, an estate): a cash buyer or iBuyer gives the most certainty. See relocation.
- The house needs real work and you do not want to do it or wait: a local investor is more likely to bid than an iBuyer. See house needs work, sell as-is.
- The house is in good shape and you can wait 2 to 4 months: listing usually nets the most. Ask an agent for a market opinion, which is free.
- You are not sure: get one of each and compare the net. The cash vs listing tool is built for that.
Home Options MA does not buy houses and does not make offers. We introduce sellers to independent local cash buyers and licensed agents who may pay us a fee. Our disclosures explain how that works.