Q2 2026 · Vol. IV, Issue 2

Every program, ranked. Nothing paid for the rank.

Nine home-sale programs reviewed this quarter, scored against the same $750,000 sample transaction and the same four-factor rubric. Each entry below links to a full review with the fee math worked line by line, pros and cons, and the clause we'd want rewritten.

UpdatedApril 23, 2026 Programs9 full, 3 pending PSA analysis31 contracts on file OwnershipIndependent, no paid placement
The Pivot Index · Q2 2026 Ranked by composite score
01
Zoom Casa Cash Offer +Top rank
Cash Offer Plus · 50 states

The clearest fee disclosure in the category. 85% upfront against an independent appraisal, 100% of any resale overage forwarded to the seller after a flat 4.99% program fee. Seller keeps their own listing agent. Sets the bar every other program is measured against.

Upfront
85%
Fee
4.99%
Net on $750k
$709.7k
9.5Editor's Pick
02
Opendoor
iBuyer (+ Cash Plus pilot) · 45 states

The iBuyer that grew up. Direct offers run ~82% of midpoint; the Cash Plus pilot runs ~84% with a capped share of retail upside. Disclosure is meaningfully tighter than three years ago; availability is still the limit.

Upfront
~82%
Fee
5.00%
Net on $750k
$615.0k
8.2
03
HomeLight Simple Sale
Investor marketplace · 48 states

A curated marketplace of vetted investor buyers. Three to five bids per home at ~85% of market, 10-day close, and a 5% referral fee with no surprise deductions. The right tool when the MLS isn't; won't match a retail sale on the top line.

Upfront
~85%
Fee
5.00%
Net on $750k
$637.5k
8.1
04
QuickBuy Immediate
Brokerage channel · partner-only

Best-in-class operational mechanics but accessed only through partner brokerages. 82% upfront and a price-decay protocol that's easy to read. The 4.75% base fee rises to an effective ~5.9% whenever Clause 6.2's 103% resale-share trigger fires.

Upfront
82%
Fee
4.75%* (effective ~5.9%)
Net on $750k
$663.7k
7.8
05
Offerpad Express
iBuyer · 22 states

Fastest iBuyer close times we track (8–10 days). Inspection-deduction calibration has tightened this year, though it still runs higher than Opendoor's on comparable homes. Sun Belt concentration.

Upfront
~80%
Fee
6%
Net on $750k
$600.0k
7.6
06
Knock Home Swap
Bridge / Trade-Up · 19 states

Strongest trade-up mechanics on the index. 85% CLTV bridge against departing equity, 1.25% fee plus interest, and a genuinely transparent interest schedule. Best in the category for buyers who have already signed the next contract.

Bridge
85% CLTV
Fee
1.25% + int.
Net on $750k
$591.9k
7.5
07
Orchard Move First
Trade-Up · 11 states

Best concierge experience in the trade-up category, steepest fee stack to match. 6% listing + 2.75% carry. After a 2025 footprint retrenchment, Orchard is again the right answer only in a handful of high-turnover metros.

Line
Listing-based
Stack
6% + 2.75%
Net on $750k
$645.0k
7.4
08
Homeward Buy Now
Power buyer · 13 states

A cash-fronted power-buyer product that lets a seller-buyer write a non-contingent offer on the next home while their current home is still live on the MLS. 1.90% program fee, clean underwriting, and a shorter fall-through tail than the peer set.

Offer
Cash fronted
Fee
1.90%
Net on $750k
$690.0k
7.3
09
UpEquity Power Buyer
Power buyer · 9 states · buy-side product

Not really a seller product — UpEquity is a cash-backed buy-side offer. Included here because sellers often compare it to seller-side programs and they don't solve the same problem. 2.40% for non-contingent certainty on the next purchase.

Fee
2.40%
States
9
Net on $750k
$672.6k
6.9
In the queue this quarter. Flyhomes Cash Offer (refreshed PSA), Ribbon's 2026 revival product, Sundae's investor marketplace, and a handful of regional brokerage-channel cash programs. Drafts publish as we finish the PSA analysis.

Four inputs, weighted to the decision a seller actually makes.

Every number on the Pivot Index starts with the Purchase & Sale Agreement, not the marketing. We run the program's math against our standard sample — a $750,000 ARV home in good condition, 45-day target close — and verify live state availability. Then we score:

  • Net proceeds (40%) — total dollars in the seller's pocket after every PSA-allowed deduction.
  • Disclosure (25%) — how clearly the fee stack, waterfall, and deductions are disclosed and how far in advance of signing.
  • Seller control (20%) — agent choice, opt-out rights after the advance, clarity of the true-up.
  • Footprint (15%) — whether a seller can actually use the program in the state where they live.

A program above 9.0 is one we'd put in any seller's shortlist on any reasonable home. 7.0 to 9.0 has a specific use case. Below 7.0, a specific constraint — rare state footprint, niche home type — has to be doing real work for the program to be the right answer.

Still not sure which one fits your home?

Use the builder to line up two or three of these programs against each other, on your actual ZIP and price band.

Open the side-by-side