You have three real options. We buy houses for cash, so we have a horse in this race, but here's the straight version of all three, including when listing is the smarter move.
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September 8, 2026 · By Greg Valentgas
Most of the time it's one of four things. The house needs work and you don't want to fix it up for showings. You're on a clock: a job move, a divorce, a foreclosure date. You inherited it and you're dealing with it from another state. Or you look at 5 to 6 percent in commissions on a house that would sell anyway and think, no thanks.
All fair. But skipping the agent doesn't automatically mean selling to an investor. Here's how the three routes actually play out in Massachusetts.
You put it on the MLS through a flat-fee service (usually $300 to $600 in Massachusetts), take your own photos, run the showings, and negotiate with buyers yourself.
You'll almost always still pay the buyer's agent 2 to 2.5 percent, because most buyers have one. So you save about half the commission, not all of it.
It works if the house is in good shape and you have the time. If the house needs work, buyers will see it and ask for a discount anyway, and you'll spend your weekends managing showings. Figure 45 to 90 days, longer if there's a septic or roof issue.
You call a local buyer, they walk the house, and they hand you a written cash offer. No listing, no showings, no repairs, no bank on the other side.
No commissions and no fees. The number on the offer is the number. It will be below what a move-in-ready house would get on the open market, because the buyer is taking on the repairs, the risk, and the carrying costs. For a house that needs work, that gap is usually smaller than people think once you subtract commissions, repair bills, and a few months of mortgage payments.
This is what we do. We see the house, you get a written offer within 24 hours, and you pick the closing date. As fast as 7 days or a few months out if you need time.
It makes sense for houses that need real work, failed Title 5 septic, tenants in place, behind on the mortgage, or an inherited house nobody wants to renovate. It doesn't make sense for a clean house you can afford to wait on. We'll tell you that when we see it.
Some Massachusetts brokerages list for 1 to 1.5 percent instead of the usual 2.5 to 3. You still pay the buyer's agent, so figure 3.5 to 4 percent total. You get MLS exposure and someone handling the paperwork, with less hand-holding.
Same timeline as a normal listing, and you still prep the house and do showings.
Three questions. Is the house move-in ready? If yes, list it. If it needs a roof, a septic system, or a full kitchen, run the numbers on a cash sale before you assume listing wins.
Do you have a deadline? If it has to close in the next 30 days, a listing won't get you there.
What's your time worth? FSBO saves money and costs weekends. A cash sale costs some money and takes about an hour of your life total.
A lot of the "we buy houses" ads online are lead-generation companies that sell your info to whoever pays. A few ways to tell the real local buyers from the rest: they have an actual office you can drive to (ours is on Sandwich Street in Plymouth). They see the house before they give you a number; anyone who offers sight-unseen is planning to renegotiate later. They don't charge fees. And they'll tell you when a cash sale isn't the right move for your house.
Good house, no rush: list it. House needs work, has tenants, has a septic problem, or you're on a deadline: cash buyer. Not sure: call or text us at 508-789-2497, describe the house, and we'll give you a straight answer on which way makes sense. No obligation either way.
Massachusetts is an attorney state, so a closing attorney handles the transaction either way. When you sell to us, we cover our side and you can use your own attorney or one we recommend. Either way you should have someone looking out for you.
Seven to ten days is realistic if the title is clean. Probate, liens, or a missing heir can add time. We'll tell you up front if we see something that will slow it down.
Usually yes for a house in good condition. For a house that needs work, the difference is often smaller than expected once you subtract commissions, repairs, and carrying costs. We'll show you the math.