Guide · November 8, 2026
Cash offer or listing with an agent: what each one costs you
Commission, closing costs, repairs, months of bills and the chance the sale falls through all change what you keep. This guide puts each cost side by side for a listing and a cash sale.
Key points
- Compare what you keep at closing, after every cost, for both ways of selling.
- A listing usually has a higher price and more costs: commission, closing costs, repairs and the bills you pay while you wait.
- A cash sale to BIMINIO has a lower price and no commission, no repairs, and closing costs paid by us.
- Time has a cost too. Every month on the market is another month of mortgage interest, taxes, insurance and utilities.
- A listing suits a house in good shape and a seller with time. A cash sale suits a house that needs work and a seller who needs a fixed date.
- Use the net proceeds calculator with your own numbers before you decide.
Which number should you compare between a listing and a cash offer?
When you sell, the number that matters is what you keep after the sale closes and every cost is paid. A higher price with more costs can leave you with the same money, or less, than a lower price with none.
Your mortgage payoff and any liens come out of the price in both cases, by the same amount. So you can leave them out when you compare. What differs is the price and the costs on top.
Side by side: a listing and a sale to BIMINIO, line by line
The listing column shows the ranges BIMINIO estimates for Florida and Arizona, as on its home page. They are the company's own estimates, with no outside source. Your own numbers may be different, so ask your agent for theirs. The BIMINIO column shows the terms BIMINIO publishes for its own offers.
| Cost | Listing with an agent | Sale to BIMINIO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Usually higher, set by the buyers in the market | Below full market value, in a written offer |
| Commission | About 5 to 6% of the price | None |
| Closing costs | Usually 1 to 3% from you | BIMINIO pays them |
| Repairs and cleaning | You pay before listing | None, sold as is |
| Showings | Weeks of them, at agent request | None |
| Time to close | Typically 60 to 120 days | 7 to 35 days, on the date you choose |
| Risk the buyer backs out | Financing and inspection can end the deal | Proof of funds, no financing contingency |
| Privacy | Public, with the house listed on many websites | Private, one walk-through |
Listing with an agent: pros and cons
A listing suits many sellers.
- Pro: the price is usually higher, because many buyers can bid.
- Pro: an agent handles the marketing, the showings and the talks with buyers.
- Pro: you decide which offer to accept, and you can wait for a better one.
- Con: commission and closing costs come out of the price.
- Con: you pay for repairs and cleaning first, and again if the inspection finds more.
- Con: closing takes weeks or months, and the buyer's loan can fail.
- Con: showings and open houses make the sale public.
Sale to BIMINIO: pros and cons
BIMINIO says on its own site that a cash offer is below full market value.
- Pro: no commission and no fees for you, and BIMINIO pays the closing costs.
- Pro: the house sells as is, so you do not repair, clean or stage anything.
- Pro: you pick the closing date, from 7 to 35 days.
- Pro: the price in the written offer is the price at closing.
- Con: the offer is below full market value.
- Con: you get the offer of one buyer. Get a second number before you decide.
- Con: BIMINIO buys only in the cities listed on this site.
What is commission when you list your house?
Commission is the fee paid to the real estate agents when the house sells. It is a percent of the price and it is agreed in your listing agreement. Commission is negotiable. Read the listing agreement before you sign it, including what you owe if the house sells after the agreement ends.
In a direct sale to BIMINIO there is no agent and no commission.
Read the guide: selling a house without a realtor in Florida and Arizona →
Closing costs
Closing costs are the fees to finish the sale: title and settlement fees, recording, taxes on the deed where the state charges one, and other charges in your contract. In Florida, the state charges a tax on deeds of 70 cents for each $100 of the price (Florida Statutes, section 201.02). Who pays which cost is set by the contract.
In a sale to BIMINIO we pay the closing costs.
See every seller closing cost in Florida and Arizona →
Repairs, cleaning and getting the house ready
Most listings need some work first: paint, cleaning, small repairs, yard work, and sometimes staging. After a buyer's inspection, the buyer may ask for repairs or a lower price. A buyer using a loan may need some repairs done before the lender will approve it.
A cash buyer who buys as is takes the house in its current condition. With BIMINIO you do not repair, clean or stage anything, and you can leave behind what you do not want.
What do you keep paying while the house is for sale?
Every month the house is for sale, you keep paying for it. That includes mortgage interest, property taxes, insurance, utilities, HOA fees, and lawn and pool care. For an empty house, add the risk of damage while nobody lives there.
To count it, add up one month of these bills and multiply by the months until closing. The calculator on this site does this for you.
- Mortgage interest (the interest part of your payment)
- Property taxes (one month's share)
- Insurance
- Electricity, water, gas, internet
- HOA or condo fees
- Lawn, pool and pest service
The risk that the sale falls through
A listing sale can end after you accept an offer. The buyer's loan may not be approved, the appraisal may come in low, or the inspection may lead the buyer to walk away. Then the house goes back on the market and the holding costs keep running.
BIMINIO buys with proof of funds and no financing contingency. The price in the written offer is the price at closing.
An example with round numbers
These numbers are made up to show the method. Say a house could list for $300,000, with 5.5% commission, 2% closing costs, $10,000 of repairs, $1,500 a month in holding costs and 4 months until closing.
The listing leaves $261,500 before the payoff. A sale to BIMINIO has no commission, no repairs and no closing costs for you, so the written offer is the number to put next to $261,500. In this example an offer of $261,500 is 87.2% of the listing price, and it leaves you the same money.
Then think about the parts that have no price: showings, stress, and the chance the sale falls through.
| Line | Listing, made-up example |
|---|---|
| Listing price | $300,000 |
| Commission at 5.5% | minus $16,500 |
| Closing costs at 2% | minus $6,000 |
| Repairs | minus $10,000 |
| Holding costs, 4 months at $1,500 | minus $6,000 |
| Left before your payoff | $261,500 |
When does a listing or a cash sale make more sense?
A listing and a cash sale suit different houses and different sellers.
| Your situation | Usually the better fit |
|---|---|
| The house is in good shape, you have time and you accept showings | Listing |
| The price matters most and the date does not | Listing |
| The house needs repairs you cannot pay for | Cash sale |
| You need to close on a fixed date | Cash sale |
| You want no showings and no public listing | Cash sale |
| You are not sure | Get a written cash offer, then compare it with an agent's numbers |
Our verdict
The best choice depends on your house, your date and your price. A listing brings the higher price and costs more time and money. A sale to BIMINIO brings a fixed number and a fixed date at a lower price.
Get the written offer first. It costs nothing and carries no obligation. Then ask an agent for real numbers and compare what you keep with each.
What a BIMINIO offer includes
These are BIMINIO's own published terms. Check each one against any other buyer.
- A written offer within 24 hours of your request.
- Comparable sales attached, and a bank letter as proof of funds.
- Closing on a date you pick, from 7 to 35 days.
- Your earnest deposit held by a licensed title company.
- One walk-through, a building inspection of under 30 minutes at a time you choose.
Questions to ask a listing agent about costs
If you are thinking about a listing, ask the agent for real numbers for your house, so you can put them into the calculator.
- What commission do you charge, and is any of it paid to the buyer's agent?
- What will my closing costs be, line by line?
- Which repairs do you think buyers or their lenders will ask for?
- How long have similar houses near me taken to sell?
- What happens if the buyer's loan is not approved?
- What do I owe you if I sell to someone else during or after the listing?
Questions to ask a cash buyer about costs
Ask any cash buyer the same kind of questions. The answers show what you will keep.
- Who pays the closing costs? (With BIMINIO, we do.)
- Are there any fees for me of any kind? (With BIMINIO, none.)
- Can the price change after the inspection? (With BIMINIO, the written price is the price at closing.)
- Can I leave belongings behind?
- Can I choose the closing date?
Costs that stay the same either way
Some amounts come off the price whichever way you sell. Leave them out when you compare, but plan for them.
- Your mortgage payoff and any home equity loan.
- Liens, unpaid taxes and code fines on the property.
- Your share of this year's property tax, split by the days you owned the house.
- HOA or condo dues owed up to closing.
- Your own moving costs.
Want a number for your house? BIMINIO buys in Florida and Arizona, as is. A written offer comes within 24 hours.