Home Sale Net Proceeds Calculator: Compare iBuyer/Cash Offer vs. an Agent Listing

Published on November 25th, 2025

Start With a Home Sale Net Proceeds Calculator

If you’re preparing to sell your home, you’re probably focused on the sale price. But when you finally close the deal, the number that really matters is your net proceeds — how much profit you actually walk away with after all your expenses are paid.

Deciding how to sell your home is the biggest factor influencing this final number. You can list with a real estate agent to attract top dollar on the open market, or you may be facing a life situation where you need the speed and convenience of a cash offer from a house-buying company, such as an iBuyer or We Buy Houses group.

To gain perspective, we recommend you start with the Home Sale Net Proceeds Calculator above. This tool provides a rough estimate based on a traditional, agent-assisted home sale, which typically yields the highest proceeds, especially if you hire a top-rated agent.

The calculator allows you to enter:

Estimated home value
Remaining mortgage balance
Real estate agent commissions
Seller preparation and closing costs

Once you get an idea of what a traditional home sale might achieve, read on so you can make the smartest data-driven decision for your sale.

A top real estate agent can provide you with a Seller’s Net Sheet that breaks down all the costs of selling your home, along with an estimate of the proceeds you can expect. Use HomeLight’s free Agent Match platform to find a trusted local agent with excellent reviews and a proven track record.

Next, Try Our Cash Offer Comparison Tool

HomeLight’s Cash Offer Comparison Tool below allows you to compare a cash offer side-by-side with an agent-led sale estimate, giving you a more complete picture of your options.

Here’s a quick overview of your selling options:

The Agent-Listed Sale: Maximizing Price on the Open Market

Selling with a real estate agent is the traditional route, which typically secures the highest possible sale price. However, this path also comes with standard costs, such as agent commissions, home preparation expenses, and other closing costs that impact your final net proceeds.

At HomeLight, we analyze millions of transactions to see the real-world impact of a great agent. Our data shows that the top 5% of real estate agents across the U.S. sell homes for as much as 10% more than the average agent. This performance lift can often more than cover the cost of commissions.

The Cash/iBuyer Offer: Speed and Certainty

Accepting a cash or iBuyer offer is an alternative to the traditional sale. This route prioritizes speed, certainty, and convenience over achieving the highest possible price.

However, within the industry, the phrase “iBuyer” isn’t a universal term representing all house-buying companies. A large iBuyer, such as Opendoor or Offerpad, differs from a We Buy Houses investor group, like WeBuyHouses.com and WeBuyUglyHouses.com.

National iBuyer: iBuyers (instant buyers) like Opendoor or Offerpad generally only purchase homes in good condition or move-in-ready houses. They also charge a fee of around 5% of the home’s price. Because they’re more particular about the homes they buy, you can expect to receive a higher cash offer than a We Buy Houses investor group or franchise.

We Buy Houses Company: These cash-for-homes companies operate on a fix-and-flip or rental property business model. As our Cash Offer Comparison Calculator illustrates, this means they buy low, repair the properties for resale or rental, and then reap the rewards in ROI. However, most of these companies cover all your closing costs and provide an exceptionally fast and simple transaction.

While the offer price is typically below market value for both of these cash-offer categories, you can close in as little as a week, avoiding showings and staging. And with the We Buy Houses groups, you skip repairs and closing costs altogether.

How HomeLight Helps You Compare Your Options

HomeLight provides data-driven tools and services to help you make the smartest decision for your situation, whether that’s finding a top agent or getting a fast cash offer. We believe in empowering you with transparent options so you can choose the path that best meets your goals.

Simple Sale: If you need speed and certainty, HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform is the ideal solution. You can receive a no-obligation cash offer in as little as 24 hours and close in as few as 7 days. Simple Sale also allows you to compare your cash offer with an estimate of what a top agent could sell your home for.
Agent Match: If maximizing your sale price is the priority, we’ll connect you with the top-performing real estate agents in your area. We analyze over 27 million transactions nationwide to find agents who are proven to sell homes faster and for more money.
Buy Before You Sell: Worried about timing the sale of your old home with the purchase of your new one? Our Buy Before You Sell program lets you unlock your equity upfront. This allows you to make a strong, non-contingent offer on your next home and then sell your current property with peace of mind.

Whether you’re aiming for top dollar with a trusted agent or prefer the certainty of a fast cash sale, HomeLight gives you the tools to compare both options and move forward with confidence.

More resources to help you plan your home sale:

Homebuyer resources:

At HomeLight, our vision is a world where every real estate transaction is simple, certain, and satisfying. Therefore, we promote strict editorial integrity in each of our posts.