Short answer: iBuyer offers become binding to the iBuyer when you sign the purchase agreement — but most include an inspection-contingent cancellation right (Opendoor: 2 days; Offerpad: 5 days). After the contingency window expires, both sides are committed. You as seller typically have the right to cancel at any time before close, often with a small fee.
iBuyer offers become binding to the iBuyer when you sign the purchase agreement — but most include an inspection-contingent cancellation right (Opendoor: 2 days; Offerpad: 5 days). After the contingency window expires, both sides are committed. You as seller typically have the right to cancel at any time before close, often with a small fee. That's the headline. Here's what the answer depends on in practice — and what most people miss.
The numbers above are based on standard transactions in 2026. They shift with home value (premium homes attract tighter spreads), market conditions (faster markets compress discounts), home condition (which directly drives repair credits), and program-specific structures. The five major cash-offer programs all use slightly different math — what looks like a 5% fee at one program may be functionally equivalent to a 4% fee at another, depending on what's included.
Sellers who don't verify these numbers against their specific situation typically leave money on the table. The single highest-leverage action for any seller considering a cash offer is to get competing offers from at least three programs in two different categories. The spread between best and worst offer on a typical home runs 5-10% of home value — for a $400,000 home, that's $20,000-$40,000.
Three steps:
Get matched to 3 programs with the math on your actual address.
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