Opendoor charges home sellers a 5% fee, which is on par with a standard realtor commission. In exchange for the fee, you get the benefit of a fast cash sale. You don't have to worry about repairs or showings, you can choose your close date, and you can complete the transaction entirely online (except for an external home inspection).
But Opendoor's convenience comes with a few additional costs on top of its service fee:
- Our team's analysis of homes bought and sold by Opendoor in 2024 showed that Opendoor paid sellers an average of 7% less than it eventually resold them for. That works out to about a $35,000 loss on a $500,000 home.
- Opendoor's 5% service fee accounts for another $25,000 in selling costs.
- Additionally, many sellers complain of high repair costs further lowering their net proceeds — sometimes by tens-of-thousands of dollars.
"Before you sign anything, get a second opinion," advise realtors Barry and Rebecca Richards, who have both represented homeowners in transactions with iBuyers. "You're going to get the most money when you have people competing against each other."
A free service like Clever Offers can save you a ton of time getting offers and figuring out your best option — which is why it's our top-rated iBuying competitor. With Clever, you can compare fair cash offers from iBuyers, investors, and more to the sale price you'd get with an agent. Sell in as little as 7 days for the highest possible cash price.
How much does Opendoor charge to buy your house?
| Service fee | 5% |
| Closing costs | ~1% |
| Repair costs | Vary |
| Late checkout fees | $100–400/day + $2,000 security deposit |
When you sell your house to Opendoor, you'll pay a 5% service fee, plus typical closing costs of about 1%. Closing costs include title fees, transfer taxes, and prorated property taxes.
You also pay for any repairs that Opendoor thinks are necessary after its home inspection. Repair cost estimates can vary widely from seller to seller. We've talked to Opendoor customers who have paid anywhere from 1 to 3% in repair fees, while this Reddit user claims he was quoted $30,000 for repairs — about 5% of the $640,000 final offer.
Additional costs include charges for late checkout. If you need to stay in your house past the close date, you pay a daily rate based on your home's market rental value. Opendoor also withholds a $2,000 security deposit from your sale proceeds until you move out.
⚠️ Be sure you have Opendoor's repair estimate in hand before you finalize your plans
Sellers can really run into issues when they move on a new home thinking that they're going to net a certain amount from Opendoor and then get hit with a huge repair estimate after it's too late, advises realtor Melissa Young.
"For example, I had clients whose son had already gone under contract with Opendoor," explains Young. "The offer in the beginning seemed reasonable, but after going through inspections, a lot of things changed. Unfortunately at that point it was too late because their son was already under contract on a new construction home that closed in about a week. So I feel like it’s bait and switch. And by the time the seller realizes that it’s a terrible deal, it’s too late for him to back out because they’re already moving onto something else."
Opendoor fees vs. realtor fees
Opendoor's 5% service fee is comparable to the 5–6% realtor commission you’d pay in a traditional home sale. However, sellers typically walk away with a lot less for a few different reasons:
- First, Opendoor typically offer sellers less than market value for their homes. Our team's analysis of more than 200 Opendoor listings found that sellers were paid about 7% less than Opendoor eventually resold their homes for — equal to $35,000 on a $500,000 home. Moreover, 1 in 3 sellers lost out on 10% or more in potential profits compared to Opendoor's resale price.
- Second, a good realtor knows how to prep, price, and market your home to get strong offers — often above asking. That kind of expertise alone can add tens of thousands of dollars to your sale price. (Opendoor's listings tend to sit on the market for longer than the average, so there's no guarantee that sellers couldn't have made even more with the right help.)
- Finally, agents negotiate their rates, while Opendoor does not. Working with a top low-commission realtor could cut your listing commission in half, without any sacrifice in service.
Companies like Clever Real Estate pre-negotiate listing fees with top local agents. You’ll get full-service support and expert guidance, and keep more of your home’s value. Want better profit without the hassle? Try Clever today.
Example of Opendoor fees vs. a traditional or low commission realtor
Opendoor fees vs. competitor fees
| Opendoor fees | Offerpad fees | |
|---|---|---|
| Service fee | 5% | 5% |
| Cancellation fee | None | 1% |
| Repair costs | Vary | Vary |
| Closing Costs | ~1% | ~1% |
Opendoor’s main competitor is Offerpad. Offerpad charges a 5% service fee in line with Opendoor's 5%. It also charges a cancellation fee of 1% if you back out of the contract more than 4 days after signing.
But whether you'd sell for more with Offerpad or Opendoor depends on a variety of factors, including local market conditions and repair costs.
We talked to Bradley Carpenter, a seller in Kansas City, who got offers from both companies. He told us, “Offerpad's initial offer was higher, but they dropped it $40,000 after an inspection; Opendoor only came down $7,000 after a less thorough inspection.” Despite Offerpad's higher initial offer, the repair costs made Opendoor the better choice for him.
One thing to note is that iBuyers like Opendoor have stricter purchase criteria than a typical cash buyer. If your home is in less-than-ideal condition, another company that buys houses for cash may be a more suitable option.
Like iBuyers, cash investors can close fast, purchase your property as-is, and help you avoid traditional realtor fees. Unlike iBuyers, they don’t charge service fees, but their offers are often at least 20–30% lower than market value — that's because they target distressed properties that need to be offloaded quickly.
Curious where to start? Here are the best companies that buy houses for cash in 2025
Does Opendoor charge hidden fees?
Opendoor doesn't have hidden fees. However, repair costs might be significantly higher than you anticipated — and Opendoor's final offer could be much lower than your original estimate as a result.
For example, homeowners Jesse Zappia told us that Opendoor’s “initial offer was somewhat closer to the 600,000 number. ... And then when they came back and gave me an offer it was $566,000. So it was a significant jump.”
Similar scenarios are also mentioned in several Opendoor BBB customer complaints.
💡 Insights from Opendoor customers
An AI-assisted analysis of 4,361 3rd-party Opendoor reviews showed that 14% of reviewers mentioned excessive fees and repair costs. Another 19% of reviewers mentioned disappointing offers, either as a result of a poor initial offer or an offer that was lowered following the inspection.
While the cost of selling to an iBuyer can be unpredictable, some sellers have found ways to leverage that to their advantage.
For example, homeowner Bradley Carpenter explained to us via Zoom that Offerpad initially offered $3,000 more than Opendoor. However, they came back with $40,000 in repairs fees. So he decided to contact Opendoor to see if they would match Offerpad's initial offer. “I sent [Opendoor] the Offerpad offer, and I said, ‘Hey, Offerpad offered me $3,000 more than you. Are you guys willing to come up a little bit?’” Opendoor ultimately increased its offer, which Bradley accepted.
| ✍️ Editor’s note: There’s no penalty for walking away from an Opendoor offer. If the final offer isn’t what you expected, you can say no and find a listing agent instead. |
Bottom line: Are Opendoor's fees worth paying?
Whether Opendoor's fees are worth paying depends on how much profit you're willing to sacrifice in order to avoid the traditional listing process.
Jesse Zappia, who sold his home to Opendoor in 2022, said this about the trade-off:
"We were in a position where taking ... less money was worth it for us. If you go in with that mindset, it's great. But if we were in a scenario where we weren't as timebound, I think going the traditional route is probably the way we would go, just to get the better profitability out of it."
If you're considering selling to Opendoor but worried about losing equity, you should compare offers from multiple cash buyers against a realtor's estimate of what you'd get selling as is on the open market. A free service like Clever Offers can save you time exploring those options.
In a seller's market, where there's high demand for homes, you might be able to sell as is without making repairs or offering concessions. In other cases, you can use an initial cash offer to negotiate a higher price with a competing buyer.
FAQ about Opendoor fees
How much does Opendoor charge to sell a house?
When you sell to Opendoor, the company charges a 5% service fee. When you list with Opendoor, the company charges a 5% commission rate. Read our in-depth Opendoor review to learn more!
Is Opendoor more expensive than selling with a realtor?
Opendoor's 5% service fee is about the same as standard realtor commission rates. However, you probably won't net as much as you would selling with a realtor. And you can pay a lot less in fees with a discount brokerage. The best low commission realtors match the service and support of a traditional agent, but they charge a fraction of the price.
Can you negotiate fees with Opendoor?
No, Opendoor’s service fee is non-negotiable. You may be able to negotiate with Opendoor on its offer price, but you'll likely need proof that it missed something important — such as home improvements that aren't noted in public records.
Does Opendoor charge closing costs?
Yes. If you sell to Opendoor, you still have to pay traditional closing costs, which average 1% of the sale price. These costs include title fees, transfer taxes, and prorated property taxes.
