The Honest Comparison
We buy houses for cash, so you would expect this page to argue for cash. It does not. A listing usually puts more money in your pocket when the house is in good shape and you can afford to wait. A cash sale earns its place when condition, time or risk make that listing hard to pull off.
We are not agents and we do not list homes. When listing is the right call for you, we say so, tell you who we would call, and take no referral fee for it. Below is the arithmetic we would walk you through at the kitchen table.
What a listing actually costs
The sale price is not what you walk away with. These are the costs that come out of it.
Agent compensation, after the 2024 settlement
Since August 17, 2024, offers of compensation to a buyer’s agent can no longer be advertised on the MLS, buyers sign a written agreement with their own agent before touring, and those agreements have to state that compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable. Sellers can still agree to cover the buyer’s agent off the MLS. So your cost is your listing agent’s fee plus whatever you agree to toward the buyer’s side. The NAR settlement FAQ explains the changes.
Seller concessions and repair credits
After the inspection, buyers can ask for repairs, a price cut or a credit toward their closing costs. If their appraisal comes in below the contract price, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau notes they can use it to renegotiate. Each of these is a negotiation, and each one comes out of your side.
Transfer tax and closing fees
In Clark County the real property transfer tax works out to $2.55 for each $500 of value under NRS 375.020 and 375.023. The law makes buyer and seller jointly liable for it, so who actually covers it is set by your contract. Title, escrow and recording fees sit on top of that.
Repairs and preparation
Paint, flooring, landscaping, the air conditioner that is on its last summer. Some of it raises the price; some of it just keeps a buyer from walking. It is paid before the house earns anything.
Time, and what it costs to hold
Las Vegas REALTORS reported that in August 2026, 74.8 percent of existing single-family homes sold had sold within 60 days, with a median price of $475,000 and just over four and a half months of supply on the market. Every one of those months carries a mortgage payment, HOA dues, insurance and utilities.
A worked example, with every assumption shown
This is illustrative, not a quote and not an offer. The house is hypothetical, priced at the August 2026 Las Vegas median for existing single-family homes. Apart from the transfer-tax rate, every cost below is an assumption we chose to make the arithmetic visible. Your numbers will differ, sometimes by a lot.
| Sale price (assumed) | $475,000 |
|---|---|
| Agent compensation, total (assumed 5 percent of the sale price) | −$23,750 |
| Clark County transfer tax at the statutory $2.55 per $500 (assumed on the seller) | −$2,423 |
| Title, escrow and other seller closing fees (assumed) | −$2,500 |
| Pre-listing repairs, cleaning and touch-ups (assumed) | −$6,000 |
| Repair credit or concession after the buyer’s inspection (assumed) | −$5,000 |
| Carrying costs: $2,000 a month for 3 months, prep to closing (assumed) | −$6,000 |
| Estimated net before paying off any loan | $429,327 |
Now the cash side of the same house. There is no agent compensation, no repair work and no inspection credit. When we buy, we cover the standard closing costs, including the seller’s share of the Clark County transfer tax, and the purchase agreement lists each item. Assume one month of carrying costs, $2,000, while the sale closes.
On those assumptions, a cash price would need to reach about $431,300 just to match the listing’s net. A cash price usually lands below that line. The difference is what you are spending to skip the repairs, the showings, the months of holding costs and the risk of a buyer’s loan falling through.
Change one assumption and the picture moves. If the first buyer’s financing fails and the house takes two more months to sell, the listing’s net falls to about $425,300, and the break-even drops to about $427,300. If the house needs a roof or a new air conditioner before it can sell, the gap narrows further. If it needs nothing, the listing pulls ahead.
When listing is the better choice
- The house is in good condition, or needs only light cosmetic work you can fund.
- You are not on a deadline, and you can cover several months of holding costs.
- You can live with showings, or the house is empty and easy to show.
- There is meaningful equity, so the extra price matters more than the extra time.
If that describes your house, list it. We will tell you so in the appointment, and tell you which agents we have had good experiences with.
When a cash sale can make sense
- The house needs work you cannot or do not want to fund, or its condition could stop a buyer’s lender.
- A date is fixed: a sale date on a foreclosure notice, a move, a divorce settlement.
- The property is occupied, or you are managing it from another state.
- You would rather give up part of the price than handle repairs, showings and a failed escrow.
Where we come in
We come to the house, look at it as it is, and give you a no-obligation cash offer you can set against an agent’s net sheet. If the arithmetic favors listing, we say so. If it favors us, we close through a licensed Nevada title company on the date you choose, subject to the signed agreement and the usual title work. Our purchase process sets out each step.
How to compare the two routes on your own house
Do this before you sign anything, with anyone, including us.
- 1
Get a written net sheet from an agent
Ask one or two listing agents for an estimated net sheet on your house: their suggested price, their compensation, what they expect you to offer a buyer’s agent, and the seller-side closing costs. Compensation is negotiable, so this is also where you negotiate it.
- 2
Price the work the house needs
Be honest about what a buyer’s inspector will find. Get a quote or two for the obvious items, and decide whether you would fix them before listing or expect to give a credit after the inspection. Either way it comes out of your proceeds.
- 3
Add up what holding the house costs each month
Mortgage interest, HOA dues, property tax, insurance, utilities, yard and pool care. Multiply by a realistic number of months from preparing the house to closing, not from listing day to offer day.
- 4
Get a cash offer on the house as it stands
A no-obligation cash offer gives you a real number to set against the net sheet. You can do this at the same time as interviewing agents; nothing obliges you to accept it.
- 5
Compare the two nets, then weigh time and risk
Put the two numbers side by side after costs. Then ask what the difference buys you: fewer months of carrying costs, no repairs, no showings, and no buyer loan that can fall through. Sometimes that is worth the gap and sometimes it is not.
A seller who weighed both routes
We told him to list. A few months later, he called back.
Paradise
A condo owner near UNLV told us he was about to list with his own realtor, and our rep agreed a listing was probably his best route. A few months later he called back after getting one of our postcards. His plan to settle in Nevada had not worked out, HOA fees were adding up, and the condo was worth less than he had paid.
We talked with him again, agreed on a price within about a week, and signed the agreement electronically. Our transaction coordinator took it from there, and we closed about a month later, on the date we had set.
From our deal records, reviewed by Alex Wentland, CEO — September 2026
Want the full process? Read our guide: The four ways to sell a Las Vegas house for cash.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cash versus listing questions we hear a lot
Does a cash sale always net less than listing?
Not always, but usually for a house in good condition with an owner who can wait. The listing gets the higher price; the cash sale avoids agent compensation, repairs, concessions and months of carrying costs. The gap between the two nets is what speed and fewer failure points cost, and on a house that needs heavy work it can be much narrower than the sale prices suggest.
Who pays the buyer’s agent now?
It is negotiated. Since the NAR settlement practice changes took effect on August 17, 2024, offers of compensation to buyer’s agents can no longer be published on the MLS, and buyers working with an agent sign a written agreement before touring. A seller can still agree to cover some or all of it, or offer a concession, off the MLS. Ask your listing agent how they expect it to be handled on your house.
How long does it take to sell a house by listing in Las Vegas?
In the Las Vegas REALTORS report for August 2026, 74.8 percent of existing single-family homes sold that month had sold within 60 days. Around a quarter took longer. Add the time to prepare the house beforehand, and remember that a buyer’s loan or appraisal can push a closing back.
What happens if the buyer’s appraisal comes in low?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau notes that a buyer can use a low appraisal to negotiate the price down, and may be able to cancel depending on the contract. That leaves the seller choosing between a lower price and starting over. A cash buyer is not relying on a lender’s appraisal, which is one of the failure points it removes.
Do you earn anything if you tell me to list?
No. We are not agents and we do not list homes. When listing is the better route, we tell you which agents we have had good experiences with, and we take no referral fee. That is what makes the advice worth hearing.
Can I get your offer and still list if I decide to?
Yes. Looking at the house and giving you a cash offer is free and carries no obligation. Having a real cash number in hand before you sign a listing agreement is a sensible way to decide.
About this guide
Written by the team at Alex Buys Vegas Houses, a Henderson-based property solutions company that buys houses across the Las Vegas Valley and Boulder City. We buy houses for cash across the Las Vegas Valley, and in the appointments where the numbers favor a traditional listing we tell sellers so and point them to agents, without a referral fee.
Last reviewed September 2026. This is general information about Nevada's process, not legal advice — for advice about your specific situation, talk to a Nevada attorney or a HUD-approved housing counselor.
When we do buy, here is what that means
As-is, any condition
No repairs, no cleaning, no staging. Leave behind what you do not want.
No agent fees or commissions
You are selling directly to us, so there is no listing side to pay for.
We cover standard closing costs
The usual closing costs come out of our side of the table, not yours.
Close on your timeline
Days or months — you pick the date that actually works for you.
A local buyer, based in Henderson
We work across the Las Vegas Valley and Boulder City, and we come to the house. Not a national iBuyer, not an out-of-state fund.
No pressure, either way
The offer is free and carries no obligation. Decline it and we do not chase you.
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Get a real number to compare
Tell us the address and a little about the house. We will give you a straight answer on which route looks better, even when it is not ours. If you would rather talk first, call (702) 793-2582.