Updated October 2026 · By Chris Romany, Founder of House Solutions USA · Buying houses in Central Florida since 2013
The Short Answer
If you need to sell a house fast in Central Florida, you have four main options: sell to a local cash buyer, sell to an instant-offer company (an “iBuyer”), list with an agent, or sell it yourself. A local cash buyer is usually the fastest and simplest, especially if the house needs work. iBuyers are fast too, but they charge a service fee and tend to buy newer homes in good condition. Listing with an agent can bring the highest price, but it takes the longest. Selling it yourself saves the listing commission, but you do all the work and carry all the risk.
This guide compares all four for homeowners in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Polk and South Lake counties, so you can pick the one that fits your house and your deadline.
Option 1: Sell to a Local Cash Buyer
A local cash buyer is a person or company that buys houses directly with its own money, usually to repair and resell them or to keep them as rentals. You call, the buyer sees the house, and you get a written offer.
- Speed: often one to three weeks, on a closing date you choose.
- Condition: any. Old roofs, failed inspections, code violations, tenants and full clean-outs are all common.
- Costs: a good local buyer charges no fees and no commission and pays the closing costs. You pay only what you already owe, such as your share of property taxes, HOA amounts and any liens.
- Certainty: high, because there is no loan or appraisal to fall through.
- Trade-off: the offer reflects the condition of the house, so it’s below what a fully repaired house would bring on the open market.
Not every “we buy houses” company is the same. Ask whether they will buy the house themselves with their own money, whether they can show proof of funds, whether they charge any fees, and which title company will close. Our guide, Should I Sell My House Off Market for Cash?, has the full checklist.
Option 2: Sell to an iBuyer (Instant-Offer Company)
iBuyers are large national companies that make an offer online, based on your answers and computer pricing, then send someone to check the house. Two of them, Opendoor and Offerpad, list Orlando as one of their markets. Several others that sellers may remember, such as Zillow Offers and Redfin Now, have shut down their home-buying programs.
- Speed: fast. Offerpad, for example, lets you pick a closing date from 8 to 60 days out.
- Condition: iBuyers tend to buy newer homes in good condition in typical neighborhoods. A house that needs major work may get a lower offer or no offer.
- Costs: a service fee instead of a commission. Offerpad states a 5% service fee plus about 1% in closing costs. Opendoor says its service charge varies by market and house and shows it in your offer.
- Certainty: the online number is a starting point. After the house is checked, repairs can be taken off the offer as a credit, so the final amount can be lower than the first one you saw.
- Trade-off: you deal with a national company, not a local person, and the fee comes out of your proceeds.
An iBuyer can make sense if your house is newer, in good shape and you want an online process. Compare the final net number, after the fee and repair credits, with a local cash offer before you sign.
Option 3: List With an Agent
This is the traditional way to sell: an agent prices the house, takes photos, lists it and handles showings and offers.
- Speed: the slowest. Orlando homes averaged 64 days on the market in August 2026, and a buyer with a mortgage then needs about six more weeks to close. If the buyer’s loan falls through, you start over.
- Condition: buyers expect the house to be clean, repaired and ready to show. Many will ask for repairs or a lower price after the inspection.
- Costs: an agent commission, which is negotiable, plus the seller’s share of closing costs, plus everything it costs to keep the house while it’s on the market.
- Certainty: lower, because the sale depends on the buyer’s inspection, appraisal and loan approval.
- Trade-off: it can bring the highest price, if the house is in good shape and you have time to wait.
Option 4: Sell It Yourself (For Sale by Owner)
Selling “by owner” means you do the agent’s job yourself: pricing, photos, advertising, showings, negotiating and paperwork. Florida doesn’t require you to use an agent to sell your own home.
- Speed: usually no faster than listing with an agent, and often slower, because fewer buyers see the house. Most buyers search the agent listing websites, and getting your house on them usually means paying a listing service.
- Condition: the same as any open-market sale. Buyers expect a clean, repaired house, and most will still need a loan, an inspection and an appraisal.
- Costs: you save the listing agent’s commission. But many buyers come with their own agent, who may ask you to pay their commission, and you still pay the seller’s share of closing costs, plus the cost of keeping the house while it’s for sale.
- Certainty: lower, because the sale depends on the buyer’s loan, and you handle every problem yourself. If the loan falls through, you start over.
- Trade-off: it can save money if you have time, the house shows well, and you’re comfortable pricing, showing and negotiating on your own.
If you go this route, use the standard Florida AS-IS contract, which you can read about on our FARBAR contract page, and open a file with a title company as soon as you have a buyer. For a step-by-step plan, read our guide to selling your house yourself in Florida.
Which Option Fits You?
- The house needs work, or you need to close by a certain date: a local cash buyer.
- The house is newer and in good shape, and you’re comfortable with an online process and a service fee: an iBuyer may be worth comparing.
- The house is in great shape and you can wait three to four months: list with an agent.
- You have time, the house shows well, and you’re comfortable handling buyers and paperwork yourself: selling it yourself may save the listing commission.
Whatever you choose, compare offers by what you would actually keep: the price minus commissions, fees, closing costs, repairs and the cost of holding the house until it sells.
How House Solutions USA Helps
We are a local cash buyer. We have been buying houses in Central Florida since 2013, and buying houses is our full-time business. When you sell to us:
- We buy the house ourselves, with our own money. We don’t pass your contract to another investor.
- We see the house once and give you a written offer within 24 to 48 hours.
- You sell as-is. No repairs, no cleaning and no showings. Leave behind what you don’t want.
- We pay all closing costs and charge no fees, no service charge and no commissions.
- You choose the closing date. We have closed in 7 days, and a typical sale takes about 21.
- You pay only what you already owe: your share of the property taxes, any HOA amounts owed and any liens against the house, paid from your proceeds at closing.
Call 407-738-1581 or fill out our cash offer form. To see every step, read how we buy houses. For timelines, see how to sell a house fast in Central Florida. We buy houses in Orange County, Seminole County, Osceola County, Polk County and South Lake County.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to sell a house in Central Florida?
Sell it to a local cash buyer. There is no listing period and no loan to approve, so the sale can close in one to three weeks. With us, the fastest closing has been 7 days.
What is an iBuyer?
An iBuyer is a company that makes an instant offer on your house online, checks the house, and buys it directly. In the Orlando area, Opendoor and Offerpad both list Orlando as a market. They charge a service fee and may reduce the offer for repairs after the house is checked.
Is a local cash buyer better than an iBuyer?
It depends on the house. iBuyers tend to buy newer homes in good condition and charge a service fee. A local cash buyer will usually buy a house in any condition, with tenants, or with liens or code problems, and a good one charges no fees at all. Compare the final amount you would keep from each.
Can I sell my house myself in Florida?
Yes. Florida doesn’t require an agent to sell your own home. You save the listing commission, but you handle the pricing, showings, negotiating and paperwork, and a buyer’s agent may ask you to pay their commission. Use the standard Florida AS-IS contract and a title company to close.
Do I pay a commission or fees when I sell to you?
No. There is no agent commission, no service charge and no fee to us. We pay the closing costs. You pay what you already owe on the house, such as your share of property taxes, HOA amounts and any liens.
How do I compare offers from different buyers?
Look at what you would actually keep, not the headline price. Subtract any commission or service fee, closing costs, repair credits and the cost of keeping the house until closing. The offer with the larger number is the better one.