This article is likely to have been written by you after you did a Google search on “We Buy Houses” and found many companies that claim the same thing: “We’ll buy your home in a week”, “sell my house fast”, “fast closing”, or “no charges”. You may be overwhelmed by all the options and want to ensure you choose the best house buying company near me to buy your most valuable asset.
While many legitimate companies purchase houses for cash, some are not ethical. They tend to overpromise or under-deliver. These tips will help you sort through the clutter and select the right company to buy houses.
How To Find The Best We Buy Homes Companies To Contact?
First, you need to determine which We Buy Houses companies to reach out to. You can find a lot of information online to help you make that decision before even calling or submitting a request for a cash offer. These concepts can be used to search for companies of any type, not just house-buying companies.
You may be tempted to try out a new hair salon or restaurant, but not with a house-buying company. It is important to ensure that the company you choose has prior experience in buying homes and is trustworthy. These are steps to help you narrow down your options.
1) Scroll Past The Paid Ads
To identify companies, look beyond Google and Bing ads. These ads will be branded “ads,” even if they’re inconspicuous. In the graphic below, red boxes emphasize crucial locations.
Advertising is fine. Any new startup or small business can pay for top search results. You want “ad-free” results. Google ranked the top home-buying companies. Google ranks search results using many factors, including how long the company/website has been around, reviews, and which other websites are authoritative (i.e. This company has been referenced by national and local news websites). These are all indicators that websites appearing at the top of search results after the ads are trustworthy.
2) Search For Google Reviews & Video Testimonials
We purchase homes companies’ websites have reviews and testimonies. Companies can easily produce reviews and post them on their website without third-party approval. Look for reviews that are hard to fake. Their website has video testimonials. These movies show how homeowners feel about a company.
Video reviews can reveal more about the homeowner’s experience and happiness than written reviews. Check Facebook and Google for reviews. Real people with associated profiles write these reviews.
3) Locate A Local Home-Buying Company
It is important to select a company with extensive experience. However, it is also important to ensure that you deal with a local company. You may not be given the attention you deserve and treated as if you were just another transaction by national home-buying franchises and companies. A local company that buys houses will be familiar with your area and be able better to advise you and help you.
4) Request Proof Of Funds
It is an important question that sellers should ask home buyers companies. This directly affects their ability to fulfill their promise to buy the property. They can’t guarantee that the lender will approve the deal if they’re relying on outside financing. Ask for proof of funds, and ask for bank statements/actual bank cash. While letters of credit may be available from some companies, this is not the same as cash.
5) Request Proof Of Purchased Properties
We buy houses companies that are successful can purchase and sell dozens of properties each year. You can ask for photos of properties they’ve bought on social media or ask for copies of closing statements.
Although it is easy to post photos online and pretend they are yours, the truth of their purchase can be trusted if they are in these photos or videos.
6) Request References
Although this is an obvious point, it is often forgotten. Ask the home buyer company for seller references when evaluating an offer. Reputable we buy houses companies will be able to provide references of other sellers that they have done business with. You can also call them to ask about their experiences working with the company. You can ask questions of other clients and get answers.