We had just purchased our new home and started talking with our realtor about listing our old one. The market was super hot with bidding wars everywhere, and he suggested we list at $330k based on comps. Around that same time, I started getting emails and texts from OpenDoor and Zillow, so I figured—why not see what they’d offer?
OpenDoor came in first with an initial $359k offer. After an exterior visit and a video walkthrough of the inside, they quickly followed up with a final offer of $362k. That included a 5% fee and $5k in repairs.
Zillow took a lot longer. They scheduled an in-person walkthrough that lasted about two hours, and then the waiting game began. Days turned into weeks with very little communication. Meanwhile, we signed with OpenDoor just to have a backup in place, since you can cancel up to 24 hours before closing. Still, I kept hoping Zillow would come through.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Zillow told me the holdup was due to a prior foundation repair—they needed an independent company to verify stability. Thankfully that inspection was scheduled quickly, passed without issue, and just five days later Zillow gave us their final offer: $404k with a 1% fee and $2,500 in repairs. I immediately canceled the OpenDoor contract and signed with Zillow.
From that point on, Zillow’s communication was much better. We closed smoothly (minus a small hiccup with a few missing documents), and the funds hit my account the same day. My old mortgage was paid off the next morning.
When I compared the numbers, it made the decision easy:
Realtor: $330k listing price, 6% fee, $6–8k in repairs, showings, and no guarantee of an over-ask offer.
OpenDoor: $362k, 5% fee, $5k repairs, flexible close.
Zillow: $404k, 1% fee, $2,500 repairs, flexible close.
With Zillow, the stress was minimal—no showings, no endless bartering, no costly repairs—just move out and clean. I estimate we would’ve needed to sell for around $430k with a realtor just to net what Zillow gave us, and even then the process would have been a lot more hassle.
It honestly felt too good to be true, but the money is in my account, and it really happened. For us, it was absolutely the right choice.
(North Fort Worth area)