Compare HomeVestors and Unlocked Real Estate

For Sellers

Cash Offers
30%
Home Equity
HomeVestors does not provide real estate services to home sellers. Instead, local franchisees buy homes directly, repair and resell or rent them to tenants. Typically an offer equal to 70% of home value is expected from this type of sale after any cost of the repairs and resale.

For Sellers

Not Applicable
0
No Rates
Unlocked Real Estate does not openly advertise listing services for consumers.

For Buyers

Not Applicable
0
No Rates
HomeVestors does not provide real estate services to home buyers. Instead, local franchisees buy homes directly, repair and resell or rent them to tenants.

For Buyers

Buyer’s Savings
67%
Commission Rebate
'When Unlocked Real Estate represents home buyers, it contributes 67% of its Buyer's Agent Commission (2.5%-3%) to the buyer as a way to financially compete for a buyer’s business. Minimum commission and other terms may apply. Home buyers do not pay any taxes on the amount, the refund amount is always tax-free.
Question: What is the difference between HomeVestors and Unlocked Real Estate?
Answer: HomeVestors is a direct home cash buyer that buys select homes off-market with cash offers and resells them at a profit to homebuyers while Unlocked Real Estate is a buyer's real estate agent that offers savings to homebuyers
Compare HomeVestors and Unlocked Real Estate for home buying and selling. Geodoma is an impartial and an open resource focused on trending real estate services, portals and start-ups.

First published: 05 December 2024
Last updated: 05 December 2024

Buying and Selling with HomeVestors

HomeVestors (also known as We Buy Ugly Houses) is a franchise network where each individual local franchisee considers the condition of a home and makes an offer to pay cash for the property. In determining the offer, each franchisee discounts from the estimated retail value after it’s fully renovated.

HomeVestors Pricing

HomeVestors franchisees make money with a difference between buying and selling each home. Typically an offer equal to 70% of home value is expected from this type of sale after any cost of the repairs and resale.

Listing Services

  • This Service Does Not Represent Sellers

Buyer's Agent Services

  • This Service Does Not Represent Buyers

HomeVestors Editor's Review:

HomeVestors franchisee will buy a home at a price that is below market value due to necessary repairs, renovation, and other factors. After the franchisee buys the home, it renovates and resells it for a profit or rents it out to qualified tenants.

With the low offer price, comes a convenience of an all-cash closing when selling a home. HomeVestors franchisee typically closes a home in 30 days of receiving cash offer.

Typically each franchisee uses the following factors when determining the offer: existing condition of the home including repairs needed, time it will take to finish needed repairs, value of a home compared to other comparable homes in the area, real estate commission required to resell, costs associated with maintaining a home during repairs, including taxes, payments, insurance, utilities and homeowner dues.

The main disadvantage of using HomeVestors is high losses in homeowners' equity. HomeVestors is a "heavy" model, ready to buy homes in all-cash transactions.

As any real estate investor, HomeVestors franchisee is susceptible to losing money in any given transaction. This model is prone to a number of risk factors, high operational costs and a continued need for higher-than-average Return on Investment (ROI) with each flip.

HomeVestors franchisee is not legally bound to represent consumers, its main legal obligation is to its stakeholders. Moreover, because most homes in the United States are financed, homeowners own only partial net equity in their home.

Banks receive the same amount of the remaining mortgage sum regardless of how any given home is sold, or how much of homeowners' net equity is lost in the transaction with HomeVestors.

Today, there are a number of highly qualified real estate agents who offer competitive listing rates and flat fee listings across the United States. Unless a situation absolutely requires a quick sale, Geodoma recommends that consumers first consider using a licensed real estate agent working on competitive terms to properly list their homes on the open market before turning to HomeVestors option.

Where does HomeVestors operate?

HomeVestors currently operates in select areas across United States.

Buying with Unlocked Real Estate

Unlocked Real Estate is a local San Francisco Bay Area agent, offers consumers buyer’s refunds in select areas.

Unlocked Real Estate Pricing

Unlocked Real Estate offers buyers approximately 67% of the Buyer’s Agent Commission.

Listing Services

  • This Service Does Not Represent Sellers

Buyer's Agent Services

  • Find the Property
  • Accept and Deliver All Offers and Counteroffers
  • Recommend Other Professionals
  • Attend Inspection Services
  • Schedule Private Showings
  • Negotiate Needed Repairs
  • Closing Duties

Unlocked Real Estate Editor's Review:

Unlocked Real Estate is a consumer-focused real estate broker that focuses on helping buyers. As a buyer’s agent, Unlocked Real Estate works with buyers to find a home, schedule inspections, negotiate repairs and finalize the purchase.

Unlocked Real Estate offers overall great value to consumers looking to buy a home, but it does not offer services to sellers.

Where does Unlocked Real Estate operate?

Unlocked Real Estate currently operates in select areas across San Francisco.

Compare HomeVestors to:

Offerpad
Opendoor

Compare Unlocked Real Estate to:

Offerpad
Opendoor