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A Seller's Experience: "Why I went with The Caren Team vs. OfferPad/OpenDoor"

A Seller's Experience: "Why I went with The Caren Team vs. OfferPad/OpenDoor"

"I struggled with the decision as to go with one of the “quick sale” companies like OfferPad and OpenDoor verses a Realtor.  After talking to all 3 (OfferPad & OpenDoor first, and then Matt Caren of The Caren Team last), this is how I made my decision and it was hands down the perfect decision for me.  My home sold for 20K more than OfferPad and OpenDoor offered me.

The Pro’s that are dangled in front of your face like shiny diamonds with OpenDoor & OfferPad, in their high-pressure sales pitch are as follows:

Pros

  •        Quick, no hassle, no showings, sale of your home.  
  •        If you need the money out of your home fast and are willing to take less than it’s worth
  •        If you need to sell your home fast because you don’t want to live in an apartment while your new home is being built and now it’s time to move and you've got to get your house sold.
  •        You hate showing your home
  •        You have pets and don’t want to show your home with pets
  •        Your house needs a lot of work done to sell, you don’t want to put the time and money into it, just want it sold and willing to take a lower offer.

Cons

  •        A much lower price for your home
  •        Same fee (or higher) as a conventional realtor
  •        The offer given doesn’t include all the repair and replacement work your home may need, it is deducted from the offer. 
  •        They don’t work for you, they want what you have at the lowest price they can get it to make money for them, not you.  
  •        High-pressure sales

For me, the cons far outweighed the pros.  I felt very uncomfortable with their low ball offer and high pressure to sell them my home. When I asked a lot of questions I realized the price they offered wasn’t really the price.  Every repair or replacement would be deducted from the offer or you could have it repaired yourself and show them the receipts it was done (Then why not get a higher price if you do all the repairs).
 I let both OfferPad and OpenDoor know my carpet needed to be replaced badly, all of it. They said it wouldn’t cost that much with them as it would if I had it replaced myself because they would “piece” replace it, only take out the bad parts and put good (not necessarily new) carpet in just those spots.   Really? ummm…NO!  I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing some innocent home buyer has pieces of old and maybe slightly used carpet in my house that totally needed ALL the carpet replaced.   I really felt conned the whole time…..a constant sales pitch.

Then, after talking to both OfferPad and OpenDoor I spoke to Matt Caren of The Caren Team.  Complete different feeling.  There was no pressure to sign with him, he was instantly on my side and what was best for me.  He didn’t talk negative about OfferPad and OpenDoor, he totally gave me both sides so I could decide what was best for me.  He asked me questions to see what my best option was, him or them. 
  My biggest concern was getting my house sold in a reasonable amount of time in order to make the payments on my new house and the house I was selling, I couldn’t go more than a month or two with both payments.   

Questions Matt asked:

  •        Did I want the max I could get out of my home or did I just want out? I wanted the max price.
  •        Did I have at least 30 days to sell my home?  Yes.
  •         What kind of shape was my house in?  Good. My home needed minor normal repairs on an 11-year-old home, needed the carpet replaced, which I was willing to do.
  •        Was I prepared to show it?  Yes, I would already be moved out, and even if I wasn’t, I was willing to show it while I lived there.

If my home didn’t sell in the hopeful 30 days Matt had all kinds of other options we could try.  And, I knew if I truly got stuck I could always fall back on OfferPad or OpenDoor.

Nothing about my experience with Matt and The Caren Team felt uneasy, my decision felt right.  I got an offer on my home within 24 hours of it going on the market for about $20K more than OfferPad/OpenDoor, I was thrilled I decided to go with The Caren Team.
Everything the prospective owners threw at me to repair or change, Matt was there to help me and answer any and all of my questions and fears, I felt completely supported and I would never not go with a reputable realtor like The Caren Team again.

If your house needs a lot of work and you just want out, by all means, contact OfferPad or OpenDoor, this is what they are designed for, the quick sale wanting a person that just wants out from under their house.   I know a few people that were very happy with the experience as it worked perfect for what they wanted, a quick sale and price reduction didn’t matter.  It just didn’t work for me, I was willing to put the time and do the minor repairs needed in my home to sell it with a Realtor working for me for that best price possible.  I got an offer within 24 hours for exactly what I wanted, $20K more than OfferPad and OpenDoor.

Sincerely,

Denise Bade"