Cash Offer vs. Realtor: What Will You Actually Net?
Compare three real paths for selling your Dayton home — list with a Realtor, sell it yourself (FSBO), or take a cash offer. Includes repairs, commissions, holding costs, buyer concessions, and time-to-close.
Built by Mike Wall, licensed Ohio REALTOR® (#2001023573) and local cash buyer with 300+ Dayton purchases since 2016.
Your Home
Estimates update live. Numbers are based on Mike Wall's actual Dayton-area cost data and post-NAR-settlement market conditions. For an exact written cash offer, call (937) 598-CASH.
After repairs, commissions, concessions, and 90 days of holding costs, a Realtor sale would net you $193,648. Our cash offer nets you $184,500 — a difference of -$9,148 while saving you 76 days of waiting and zero work.
Want the actual offer for your specific home?
This calculator is an estimate. Mike will walk your property (or do it virtually) and give you a written cash offer — usually within 24 hours.
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Free for real estate attorneys, financial advisors, housing counselors, FSBO blogs, and probate professionals. Attribution link is the only ask.
How this calculator works
Every input feeding this tool comes from one of three sources: (1) Mike Wall's 300+ Dayton home purchases since 2016, (2) post-NAR-settlement Ohio real estate market data, or (3) Mike's 1,700+ career real estate transactions as a licensed REALTOR® (#2001023573, EXP Realty). Here's the math behind each path.
Realtor sale path
- Sale price = ARV × condition factor (100% move-in / 97% lived-in / 93% needs-work / 85% major after repairs)
- Pre-list prep: $0 / $5,000 / $22,000 / $60,000 by condition tier (Dayton-area contractor pricing, 2026)
- Commission: 5.5% (post-NAR-settlement Dayton average)
- Seller closing costs: 1.5% (Ohio transfer tax + title + recording fees)
- Buyer concessions: 1.5% (current-market average for Dayton)
- Holding cost: $350/month base (taxes + insurance + utilities) plus your mortgage P&I if applicable, pro-rated for 75–165 days on market
FSBO path
- Sale price: 3% lower than the Realtor path (NAR consistently shows FSBO homes net 5–7% less; weaker pricing strategy + reduced exposure)
- Buyer-agent commission: 2.5% (most FSBOs still owe this)
- Marketing: $800 (flat-fee MLS listing + photography + signs)
- Days on market: 20+ days longer than agent-listed (longer holding cost)
- Same prep, closing, and concession assumptions as the Realtor path
Cash offer path
- Offer = ARV × 68–85% by condition (Mike's actual offer formula: ARV − repairs − holding − closing − fair profit)
- Closing in 7–14 days using our own cash — no bank, no appraisal, no contingencies
- We absorb: every closing cost, every repair, every holding cost during the closing period
- Zero: commissions, concessions, prep work, showings, marketing
Data sources & last updated
Last updated: May 2026. Numbers are reviewed quarterly against the sources below.
- Realtor commission (5.5%): A reasonable post-NAR-settlement working assumption for a full-service Dayton-area listing (typically 2.5–3% to each side, sometimes negotiable). Commissions are no longer set by the MLS — see NAR Settlement FAQs for background. Your actual rate is whatever you negotiate with your agent.
- FSBO discount (~6% net): National Association of REALTORS® 2024 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers shows FSBO median sale price meaningfully below agent-listed (and below the seller's typical asking price), driven by weaker pricing strategy and reduced exposure.
- Days on market & concessions: Cross-checked against the latest Redfin Dayton, OH housing market report and Realtor.com Dayton market overview.
- Ohio seller closing costs (~1.5%): Ohio Revised Code transfer-tax rate (0.10% conveyance + county permissive up to 0.30%) plus typical title/escrow/recording fees observed at Dayton-area title companies.
- Pre-list repair tiers ($0 / $5k / $22k / $60k): Mike Wall's primary cost data from 300+ Dayton-area home purchases since 2016, validated against current local contractor pricing.
- Cash offer 68–85% of ARV: EZ Sell Homebuyers' actual offer formula (ARV − repairs − holding − closing − fair profit margin), within the 65–85% range commonly cited for legitimate Dayton-area cash buyers.
Important caveat: this tool is a planning estimate, not an offer. Every Dayton home is different — neighborhood, lot size, layout, school district, comp activity, and condition specifics all move the number. For a written, no-obligation cash offer on your exact property, contact us or call (937) 598-CASH.
Calculator FAQs
How accurate is this calculator?
Numbers are within ±10% of typical Dayton-area outcomes for each condition tier, based on Mike Wall's 300+ Dayton home purchases since 2016 and 1,700+ career real estate transactions. Pre-list repair averages, holding cost assumptions, and the 5.5% Realtor commission reflect post-NAR-settlement Ohio market conditions as of 2026. The cash offer percentages mirror our actual offer formula. For an exact, written cash offer on your specific home, call (937) 598-CASH.
Why is the Realtor sale price not the full move-in-comp value?
Even after $5,000–$60,000 in pre-list prep, older homes rarely fetch the same price as a fully-renovated comparable. Buyers price in age, layout, school district, lot size, and any remaining deferred maintenance. Our model uses 85–100% of ARV depending on condition, which matches recent Dayton-area MLS Now / Dayton REALTORS® sold-comp data.
What's included in 'holding cost'?
Property taxes, homeowner's insurance, utilities (electric, gas, water), and HOA dues if applicable — pro-rated for the days the home sits on the market. If you have a mortgage, we add the principal-and-interest payment too. The default base assumption ($350/month with no mortgage) is conservative for a Dayton-area home; bigger or older homes can run $500–$700/month.
Why does the Realtor path show buyer concessions?
In the post-2024 NAR-settlement market, ~70% of Dayton-area closings include some form of seller concession — typically 1–3% toward the buyer's closing costs or rate buydown. We model this at 1.5% as a market-reflective average. If you list and don't offer concessions, your home sits longer (which adds holding cost).
How does Mike calculate the cash offer?
ARV (after-repair value) minus estimated repairs, minus holding and closing costs we'll absorb, minus a fair profit margin that accounts for our risk and capital. For Dayton-area properties this typically lands at 68–85% of ARV depending on condition. We're transparent about every input and will walk you through the math.
Is FSBO really worth $5,000+ less than a Realtor?
On average, yes — NAR data consistently shows FSBO homes net 5–7% less than agent-listed homes. The reasons: weaker pricing strategy (most FSBOs over- or under-price), no MLS reach without paying for it, longer time on market, and the 2.5–3% buyer's agent commission you'll usually still owe. Our calculator models the realistic FSBO outcome, not the best-case.
Can I share or embed this calculator on my website?
Yes. Real estate attorneys, financial advisors, housing counselors, FSBO blogs, and probate professionals are welcome to embed or link to this calculator — it's a free public resource. Email mike@ezsellhomebuyers.com for an embed code. We only ask for an attribution link back to ezsellhomebuyers.com.