House-buying company
Fastest when it works, at a price below the open market that can still move before exchange. Run the ten checks above first.
House-buying companies: how to check one before you accept an offer
The questions to ask come from public registers, a published code and a regulator's findings, and every answer can be checked before you commit.
On this page
The short answer
No regulator ranks the best house-buying companies. What you can check is who the company is, and whether it buys your home itself or passes you to someone else. Then check whether it is supervised and in a redress scheme, how it will pay, and what its terms let it do to the price before exchange.12
A house-buying company, also sold as a cash house buyer or quick sale company, offers speed and certainty in return for a price below what the open market might pay. The Office of Fair Trading studied the sector in 2013. Whether sellers got what they were promised came down to who the real buyer was, how the purchase was funded, and when and why offers fell.12 All three can be checked.
Buyer or broker: why it matters
Whether a house-buying company buys your home itself or passes you to another buyer changes what can go wrong, and which rules apply to the company. Some companies buy with their own money. Others find an investor or another buyer and pass the deal on, sometimes while presenting themselves as the buyer. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) found that most providers appeared from their websites to be buyers, but that closer examination suggested this was not always so.12
Before you agree anything, ask in writing: will your company be the buyer named in the contract, and if not, who will?
A company that buys, against one that passes you on
Buys the home itself Passes you to another buyer
Who pays you12 Buys the home itself: The company, from its own funds Passes you to another buyer: A third party the company has to find, who must pay at least the offer price and fund it quickly
Room for delay12 Buys the home itself: No third party to find Passes you to another buyer: More room for delay and renegotiation
Redress scheme2 Buys the home itself: Membership may be voluntary Passes you to another buyer: A legal duty, because introducing a buyer is estate agency work
HMRC supervision6 Buys the home itself: Required where it buys to sell on, in HMRC’s reading, which is contested Passes you to another buyer: Required
When a company must register and join a redress scheme
A house-buying company that passes sellers on to other buyers must join a redress scheme and register with HMRC. HMRC says one that buys homes to sell on must register too, though that reading is contested. For that kind of company, redress scheme membership may be voluntary.2610 The House Desk read the law and HMRC's guidance on 14 September 2026.
Redress scheme membership
Anyone doing estate agency work on residential property has to join an approved redress scheme, so that complaints can go to an ombudsman.23 Estate agency work means things done in business on instructions from a client who wants to sell or buy, to introduce a buyer or seller or to secure the sale.1
A company that takes your details and introduces you to an investor or another buyer is doing that kind of work. The OFT said brokering is likely to involve estate agency work.12 A company that genuinely buys for itself is not obviously acting on your instructions as its client. The Property Ombudsman's code for buying companies describes their membership as a voluntary scheme.10
Anti-money-laundering supervision
Estate agents are among the businesses the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 cover.4 The Regulations define estate agency work by pointing back to section 1 of the 1979 Act.5
HMRC supervises estate agency businesses, checking that they follow the money-laundering rules, and it reads the scope widely. Its guidance, updated 16 July 2026, names two kinds of estate agency business. One introduces buyers or investors to a property deal. The other buys property directly from owners with a view to selling it on, and HMRC says that includes companies offering to buy for a quick sale.6
A business that passes on enquiries from sellers or buyers to customers is also in scope. One that only gives parties a way to contact each other directly is not.6 Trading unregistered is a criminal offence, according to HMRC.8
Are house-buying companies safe?
Some are straightforward buyers and some are not, and no badge settles it. The OFT found misleading claims about who was buying and how purchases were funded, late cuts to the price and long tie-ins.12 When the Competition and Markets Authority closed its investigation of the sector in December 2013, four providers had given undertakings to stop arbitrary offer reductions.13
Check ten things before you are committed. Five of them can be looked up without contacting the company. The others depend on what the company tells you, so ask in writing.
The ten checks, and where each answer comes from
- The company behind the brand Companies House: its number, status, age and registered office.
- Buyer or broker Ask: will your company sign as buyer, and may the purchase be assigned?10
- Redress scheme The scheme’s own public register, or the Property Agent Checker.16
- Trade body The National Association of Property Buyers publishes what membership requires.11
- Anti-money-laundering supervision HMRC’s register of supervised businesses, free to download.9
- Proof of funds Ask: can you show proof of funds for this purchase?12
- The valuation Ask: who instructs the surveyor, and will I see the report?12
- Reducing the offer Partly in the published terms. Ask in what circumstances the offer can change before exchange.18
- Exclusivity and lock-in Ask: is there any exclusivity period, or a fee if I withdraw?12
- Sale and rent back The Financial Conduct Authority’s register shows whether the firm is authorised.15
1. The company behind the brand
Find the limited company named in the website footer or terms, then look it up on the Companies House register: its number, status, age and registered office. Your contract will be with a company, not a trading name.
2. Whether it buys or passes you on
Look in the draft contract for a right to nominate or assign the purchase to someone else, which would let the company pass your sale on. The Property Ombudsman's code bars its members from claiming to be the buyer when they are not, and from transferring your sale to a third party without your permission.10
3. Redress scheme membership
Check the scheme's own public register, not just a logo. National Trading Standards, which approves the estate agency redress schemes, runs a Property Agent Checker listing each agent's scheme.16 If the company brokers deals, membership is a legal duty. If it buys for itself, membership may be voluntary.310
4. Trade body membership, and what it actually requires
The National Association of Property Buyers says it admits only companies that buy directly, and that each member must sign up to The Property Ombudsman's code.11 Membership is worth what that code requires, and no more.
What The Property Ombudsman's code requires of buying companies
- In force since
- 1 June 201910
- Before you are committed
- A written offer, with the company’s fees and terms10
- Any change to the offer
- Put in writing within 15 working days of your acceptance10
- A late reduction
- Needs a written reason10
- The discount
- You must be warned the sale will be below market value10
- Enforcement
- The Ombudsman handles complaints; it cannot enforce legislation10
5. Anti-money-laundering supervision
Search HMRC's supervised business register for the company name, using the steps under how to search the register.9 Supervision tells you HMRC is checking the company's money-laundering controls, and nothing about its prices.
6. Proof of funds
A company that says it has cash available can show it. The OFT suggested sellers ask for proof, since a genuine cash buyer will be able to provide it.12 Under the code, a member may not claim to be a cash buyer when it is using mortgage finance.10
7. Who instructs the valuation
The company's first figure is usually a desktop estimate. The surveyor who later values the home is normally instructed by the company, and that valuation sets the final offer.12 Ask who instructs and pays the surveyor, whether you will see the report, and get your own view of value from local agents first. The OFT recorded sellers who were never shown the survey behind a reduction.12
8. The terms on reducing the offer before exchange
Until contracts are exchanged, the point where the sale becomes legally binding, either side can walk away or change the price. Read what the terms say about revised offers and withdrawal. National Homebuyers' terms, for example, reserve the right to withdraw any offer at any time.18 Ask for the reasons behind any change in writing, as the code requires of its members.10 The National Homebuyers review looks at what that clause means for a seller.
I would not sign a tie-in lasting months, because it takes back the speed you accepted a lower price for. Ask the company what leaving early would cost and whether it would place a notice on your title, and have both answers written into the agreement itself.
Haroon Ali Author, The House Desk. Over 11 years in property and renovation 9. Exclusivity and lock-in terms
Some agreements stop you selling to anyone else for months, and the ones the OFT saw cost several thousand pounds to leave.12
The code requires members to explain the length, the exit costs and any notice placed on the title, the property's record at HM Land Registry.10 Get independent legal advice before signing any option or exclusivity agreement.
10. Sale and rent back
Some companies offer to buy your home and let you stay on as a tenant. If you or your family will live in at least 40 per cent of it, that is a regulated sale and rent back agreement.14 Entering into, arranging or advising on one is a regulated activity under the Financial Conduct Authority's rules, so the firm must be authorised.15 Check the FCA's register before going further.
Signs to stop and check before you accept
- The company may nominate or assign the purchase What to do: It may pass you on rather than buy the home itself.10 Buyer or broker
- It says it is a cash buyer What to do: Ask for proof of funds. A genuine cash buyer will be able to provide it.12
- The offer falls after the survey What to do: Ask who instructed the surveyor, ask to see the report and get the reasons in writing.12
- An exclusivity or option agreement lasting months What to do: The OFT questioned why a quick sale agreement should run much longer than four weeks. Get independent legal advice before signing.12
- An offer to buy and let you stay on as a tenant What to do: If you or your family will live in at least 40 per cent of it, it is a regulated sale and rent back agreement. Check the FCA register.14
- The name is missing from HMRC's register What to do: Ask the company. HMRC says a business can appear under another name, or not yet if it is still applying.9
How to search the register yourself
HMRC publishes the register as a spreadsheet of supervised businesses, free to download. Search it first for the company name from the contract, then for the trading name.9 A name you cannot find is a question to put to the company. HMRC says a business may be listed under another name, and one still applying will not appear yet.9 Whether a company that buys only for itself has to register at all is contested, as explained under registration.7 Being on the register says nothing about what a company pays or how it treats sellers.
How much do house-buying companies pay?
House-buying companies pay less than the open market. Nobody can tell you in advance by how much, because that depends on the property, the company and how the offer moves after the survey. The only sector-wide figure from a regulator dates from 2013, when the Office of Fair Trading said sellers completing a quick sale typically received 10 to 25 per cent less than market value, and sometimes much less.12 Companies publish their own statements, which are claims by businesses selling the service.
To put these figures on your own district, the cash offer calculator takes a postcode and applies each published percentage to recorded sales of similar homes nearby. What each company published this month is in our tracker.
| Who said it | What they published | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Office of Fair Trading (regulator) | Sellers typically forgo 10 to 25 per cent of market value12 | August 2013 |
| Office of Fair Trading (regulator) | Offer drops in complaints it received ranged from 7 to 53 per cent of the initial offer, averaging 22 per cent12 | August 2013 |
| House Buyer Bureau (company claim) | Offers 80 to 85 per cent of market value, with no fees17 | Read 14 September 2026 |
| National Homebuyers (company terms) | Any offer will be below market value, in some cases considerably18 | Read 14 September 2026, undated |
| We Buy Any Home (company FAQ) | Cannot pay the full market value a seller might achieve on the open market19 | Read 14 September 2026 |
The OFT reduction figures come from complaints, so they describe sales that went wrong. A company's percentage applies to that company's own valuation of market value, which may differ from what an agent would advise.
Offer drops in complaints to the OFT, per cent of the initial offer12
Check what the percentage is a percentage of. The OFT pointed out that a headline figure may be taken from the company's own valuation, and may have further deductions for legal and survey costs.12 Measured against the price an agent would market your home at, 10 to 25 per cent is the gap to weigh against the time, fees and risk of an open-market sale. Our selling costs guide lets you work it out.
Where your offer sits against the published figures
Put in your own view of the price and the offer you have been made, to see how far apart they are.
For example from an agent's appraisal or recent sold prices nearby.
Enter both figures to see where the offer sits.
Against the published figures
17 That is a claim by a business selling the service, and a company's percentage applies to its own valuation of market value, which may differ from what an agent would advise.
Your figure is your own view of the price. Check what the offer is net of: the OFT pointed out that a headline figure may be taken from the company's own valuation, and may have further deductions for legal and survey costs.12
If the offer drops after the survey
An offer can still fall after the survey and before exchange. In complaints the Office of Fair Trading received, drops ranged from 7 to 53 per cent of the initial offer, averaging 22 per cent.12 Those come from complaints, so they describe sales that went wrong, not a typical sale.
| Drop | Offer after it |
|---|---|
| Smallest drop in complaints, 7 per cent | |
| Average drop in complaints, 22 per cent | |
| Largest drop in complaints, 53 per cent |
Before you accept, ask in writing
- Which company will be named as buyer, and can it assign the purchase?10
- Can you show proof of funds for this purchase?12
- Who instructs the surveyor, and will I see the report?12
- In what circumstances can the offer change before exchange?10
- Is there any exclusivity period or fee if I withdraw?12
Get your own view of value from local agents first. Under The Property Ombudsman's code, a member must give you a written offer with its fees and terms before you are committed, and put any late reduction in writing with a reason.10
Not sure which route suits you? Answer three questions.
How does selling to a cash buyer work?
A house-buying company starts from a quick estimate, then sends a surveyor and bases its final offer on the survey. Even that price is not fixed until exchange.12 The company is one kind of cash buyer. A private buyer who needs no mortgage is another, and usually reaches you through an estate agent at an open-market price. For the company route set against an auction and an open-market sale on time, see selling a house quickly.
- 01 Enquiry and first offer The company makes an initial offer, often from a desktop valuation, subject to survey and contract. Not a firm price
- 02 Survey A surveyor, usually instructed by the company, inspects and values the home.
- 03 Final offer The company confirms or revises its offer. Ask for the reasons in writing.
- 04 Solicitors and searches Your own solicitor or conveyancer handles the legal work. You are free to choose them.
- 05 Exchange Contracts are exchanged and the price becomes binding on both sides.
- 06 Completion The money is paid and ownership passes.
Speed and certainty are both softer than the advertising suggests. The OFT found companies stressing times such as seven days when three to four weeks was more typical.12 The code for buying companies says sellers must be told they are free to use their own advisers.10 What your own conveyancer charges is in solicitor fees when selling.
Sell my house for cash: what the we buy houses adverts mean
Whether the advert says we buy houses for cash, sell my house fast or cash for houses, it is offering a direct sale to a house-buying company. The price is not fixed until exchange, and it sits below what the open market might pay.12 The ten checks apply to every such company, starting with whether it is the buyer or a broker passing you on.12
What does cash buyers only mean?
In an estate agent's listing, cash buyers only means the seller will accept only a buyer who does not need a mortgage. It tends to appear where lenders may not lend on the home, because of unusual construction, structural problems or a buy-to-let sold with tenants in place. Some sellers ask for it simply to sell quickly.20 The condition is aimed at a private buyer who needs no mortgage, pays an open-market price and reaches the seller through an agent. It is not the same thing as a house-buying company, although a company may also fit the description. For the listing side, see the estate agent route.
Is selling to a house-buying company worth it?
A house-buying company makes sense when speed or certainty is worth more to you than the price difference. Three questions decide whether it is the wrong route for you. One case sits outside them. If you want the buyer bound as soon as the price is set, and can live with a price set by bidding, an auction does that.
Is a direct sale the wrong route for you?
- Would the home sell on the open market in a time you can live with?
- Yes Probably the wrong route The discount is then the cost of speed you did not need.12 Weigh the three ways to sell
- No Does the company want an exclusivity or option agreement lasting months?
- Yes Probably the wrong route A tie-in of months undoes the point of a quick sale.12
- No Are you under pressure from debt, illness or a relationship ending, without advice?
- Yes Get advice first The OFT found 70 per cent of complaints it received came from sellers in vulnerable situations.12
- No A direct sale may fit If speed or certainty is worth more to you than the price difference, run the ten checks before you accept. The ten checks
Where a separation is behind the sale, our guide to selling during a divorce covers who has to sign and whether one of you can be made to sell.
Company profiles we have researched
The House Desk has profiled seven companies so far. They were chosen because readers search for them by name, not because they rank anywhere. Each profile sets out the company behind the brand, its published terms and what the public registers show. They cover National Homebuyers, We Buy Any Home and We Buy Any House, which despite the name is a different company again, plus Upstix, Good Move, Property Solvers and Express Offers. How our introductions work explains what happens when you ask for one.
Before you judge any offer, look up sold prices near you to set your own view of value. Then use the cost of selling calculator to see what an agent sale would leave you with.
Questions people ask about house-buying companies
Do cash buyers offer less?
A house-buying company does. In 2013 the Office of Fair Trading found quick-sale sellers typically accepting 10 to 25 per cent below market value. A private buyer who needs no mortgage is a different case. That buyer usually reaches you through an estate agent and pays an open-market price.
Which house buying company pays the most?
Nobody can tell you in advance, because each company prices from its own valuation and the offer can fall after the survey. A published percentage, such as House Buyer Bureau’s 80 to 85 per cent of market value, is the company’s own claim and no promise for your house. Each company profile records what that firm publishes, and the offer checker shows where a written offer sits.
How do house buying companies make money?
By paying less than the open market would. HMRC describes companies offering a quick sale as buying homes directly from owners with a view to selling them on. Others do not buy the home themselves but pass your sale to an investor or another buyer, which is estate agency work and brings a legal duty to join a redress scheme.
Three ways to sell, weighed for someone considering a cash buyer
If you are weighing speed against price, the other two routes answer that need in different ways.
Not sure which fits? Answer three questions and we will suggest one.
Property auction
The price is set by bidding rather than by one company, and the winning bidder is committed at the fall of the hammer.
Estate agent
Usually the highest price, but with the wait and the chain risk that come with the open market. A private cash buyer normally arrives this way.
Find the route that fits you
Three questions, about 30 seconds. Your answers stay in your browser.
Question 1 of 3
Your best fit
What you give up:
Why this route
Close second: Property auction.
Selling in Scotland works differently, with a Home Report and offers over a closing date. The guides note where Scottish rules differ.
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While you wait, the guide covers what to check before you agree to anything.
Sources
(20)
Numbers in the text link to these. Each was read on the date shown. How we research
- Estate Agents Act 1979, section 1: estate agency work
- Estate Agents Act 1979, section 23A: redress schemes
- The Estate Agents (Redress Scheme) Order 2008, article 2
- Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017, regulation 8
- Money Laundering Regulations 2017, regulation 13: estate agents and letting agents
- AMLG2200: Sector specific guidance, estate agent business guidance
- ECSH43540: Registration exemptions by sector, estate agency businesses
- Who needs to register for money laundering supervision
- Check if a business is registered for money laundering supervision
- Code of Practice for Residential Property Buying Companies
- Frequently asked questions
- Quick House Sales, market study report (OFT1499)
- Providers in the quick house sales sector investigation
- FCA Handbook glossary: regulated sale and rent back agreement
- PERG 14.4A: Activities relating to regulated sale and rent back agreements
- NTS Estate Agency and NTS Letting Agency Teams
- House Buyer Bureau homepage
- Terms and Conditions
- We Buy Any Home FAQs
- Cash Buyer Explained