Who they are
Three kinds of business use the label:
- Genuine cash buyers. Companies with their own funds (or committed facilities) that buy the property themselves, refurbish or hold it, and resell or let it. They can complete in days because there is no mortgage and no chain.
- Lead generators and introducers. Websites, including this one, that pass sellers to buyers for a fee. Good ones say so. Bad ones pretend to be the buyer.
- "Assisted sale" and option companies. They do not buy; they tie your property up with an option agreement, market it themselves, and take the margin. Often the worst outcome for the seller: no certainty, no speed, and a contract you cannot get out of.
How a genuine cash buyer makes money
They buy at a discount and sell at market value later. From the discount they have to pay: stamp duty at the additional-property rate (5 points on every band in England and NI, more in Scotland and Wales), two sets of legal fees, any refurbishment, holding costs while they resell (council tax, insurance, finance), agent fees on the resale, and the risk that prices move against them. On a £200,000 house those costs come to £20,000 to £30,000 before any profit. That is why a genuine buyer pays 75% to 85%: at 90% they would lose money, and anyone offering it is planning to reduce it later.
What "any house" means
Most will look at anything: short leases, structural problems, tenants in situ, fire damage, probate not yet granted. The price reflects the problem, but the point is that a mortgage lender's valuer never has to say yes.
The trade you are making
Certainty and speed for price. A funded buyer will complete on the date you agree, whatever the market does, with no chain to collapse and no buyer's mortgage to fall through. In exchange you accept 15% to 25% less than a patient sale might achieve. Whether that is worth it depends entirely on why you are selling; our situation pages go through it case by case, and the comparison puts numbers on it.
Regulation
There is no licensing for cash buyers. The National Association of Property Buyers is a voluntary trade body whose members must belong to The Property Ombudsman and follow a code (no misleading offers, no tie-ins, transparent fees). Membership is the minimum you should accept. Companies that introduce sellers to buyers, like us, should belong to a government-approved redress scheme too.
A note on the numbers. Percentages, timescales and costs on this site describe what is typical in the UK quick-sale market in 2026. They are not offers. Any offer comes from the buyer we introduce you to, after they have assessed the property, and it is theirs alone. Take independent legal advice before you exchange contracts on any sale.
Common questions
Are quick-sale companies legitimate?
The good ones are: funded, NAPB members, redress-scheme members, with a track record. The market also contains people who are none of those. Check before you deal with anyone, including buyers we introduce.
Why not just sell through an agent at a lower price?
You can, and if you have three to six months it is usually the better result. A cheap agent listing still has a chain, a buyer's mortgage and a one-in-three chance of falling through. A cash buyer removes those.
Do cash buyers really buy in seven days?
Some can, if the title is clean and you are ready. Two to four weeks is more usual. Beware of anyone who makes seven days the headline; speed is easy to promise and hard to deliver.
Need to sell fast? Find out what a cash buyer would offer.
Two minutes about the property. A vetted cash buyer calls you back with a genuine figure, usually within one working day. Free, no obligation, and you can walk away at any point.