HomeLight Buy Before You Sell Reviews
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Richard Haddad Executive EditorRichard Haddad is the executive editor of HomeLight.com. He works with an experienced content team that oversees the company’s blog featuring in-depth articles about the home buying and selling process, homeownership news, home care and design tips, and related real estate trends. Previously, he served as an editor and content producer for World Company, Gannett, and Western News & Info, where he also served as news director and director of internet operations.
Since the first U.S. real estate agency was founded in 1855, homeowners have sought professional guidance to overcome the buy-sell timing conundrum — you’ve found a house you love but can’t buy it until you sell your current home.
Modern real estate companies like HomeLight now offer innovative solutions to simplify this process by leveraging your home’s equity to buy before you sell. These programs eliminate a double move and allow you to make a stronger, non-contingent offer to win your next home.
A buy-sell program also offers peace of mind. You receive expert assistance throughout your buying and selling journey, and you know your family has a place to live.
In this post, we explain how HomeLight Buy Before You Sell works and share real customer and agent reviews to give you a better idea of the service and results you can expect.
Yes, You Can Buy Before You Sell. Why Move Twice?
Through our Buy Before You Sell program, HomeLight can help you unlock a portion of your equity upfront to put toward your next home. You can then make a strong offer on your next home with no home sale contingency.
What is HomeLight?
HomeLight is a trusted real estate company empowering individuals and families to achieve better results when buying or selling a home. The company envisions a world where every real estate transaction is simple, certain, and satisfying.
Backed by cutting-edge technology and a growing network of more than 30,000 of the country’s top agents, HomeLight has helped more than 1.7 million people buy and/or sell a home. Founded in 2012, the company focuses on improving the buying or selling experience at every step.
Hundreds of thousands of home sellers and buyers use HomeLight to:
- Partner with the nation’s top-rated real estate agents
- Simplify the process of buying and selling at the same time
- Receive a no-obligation cash offer on their home
- Make a more competitive offer to win their dream home
- Find the right home and the right financing
Ultimately, HomeLight helps buyers and sellers save time, money, and stress during one of the largest and most important financial transactions of their lives.
How does HomeLight Buy Before You Sell work?
“The traditional method of selling a house before buying a new one often involves a tight timeline and the stress of finding a new home quickly after a sale,” says
HomeLight’s Buy Before You Sell program provides certainty by allowing you to purchase your next home before selling your current property.
“We’ve made the buy-before-you-sell process super streamlined so you can focus on finding the right home and getting the best deal possible without worrying about contingencies or moving deadlines,” Sloss explains.
Here’s how HomeLight Buy Before You Sell works in three steps:
- Apply in minutes without commitment: Use our near-instant Equity Unlock Calculator to determine if your property is a good fit for the program. Most customers get their unlock amount approved in 24 hours or less. There is no cost or commitment to inquire.
- Buy your dream home with confidence: Once approved, you’ll have access to a portion of your equity in your current home. You can now submit a competitive offer with no home sale contingency at any time — regardless of how long it takes to find your next home.
- Sell your current home with peace of mind: After you move into your new home, you will list your unoccupied home on the market to attract the strongest offer possible. You’ll receive the remainder of your equity after the house sells.
Sloss says HomeLight Buy Before You Sell gives home shoppers a vast advantage.
“If you get pre-approved, and you hold that in your tool belt, you’re ready to go as soon as you find that perfect home. This gives you a winning edge when you need to make an offer in a competitive situation.”
Benefits of HomeLight Buy Before You Sell
- Flexible timelines: There is no need to match up your home sale, move, and purchase dates. You’ll have more breathing room and time to plan without feeling rushed or pressured.
- Less financial juggling: HomeLight Buy Before You Sell can remove the stress of potential double mortgages or dipping into savings to try to bridge the financial gap between properties.
- Stronger buying power: In a low-inventory or competitive market, a non-contingent offer can stand out and get the seller’s attention, increasing your chances of winning the home you want.
- Sell your home for more: After you move, you can list your old home unoccupied and potentially staged. According to a recent HomeLight survey of more than 1,000 top agents, a well-staged home can sell for up to 13% more.
“HomeLight’s program alleviates the fear of not having a place to live after the sale of your home,” says Christine Marion, a HomeLight Buy Before You Sell Certified agent who serves on the top-performing Ryan Raymond team in Sarasota, Flordia. “It gives you the peace of mind of knowing that you can purchase a home before selling by using some of your equity in advance, which allows for a flexible time frame.”
»Get started today at this link: homelight.com/buy-before-you-sell
HomeLight Buy Before You Sell reviews and testimonials
Below, you will find a collection of real testimonials and review comments from customers and real estate agents who have used HomeLight Buy Before You Sell to complete a successful move.
Couple’s employer mandates remote workers to return
“Needing to move ASAP, our agent recommended the Buy Before You Sell Program, and it was just what we needed. What we really loved about it was the simplicity — how streamlined the process was and how we just didn’t have to worry. We had a seamless transaction from start to finish. We not only had the advantage of moving into our new home before listing our old home but also were able to sell our old home for more than we expected. When we tell our friends about this program, they can’t believe something so convenient exists. We sincerely recommend this program.” — Angela B. and Hunter W. of Sunland, California
Family needs to protect ailing husband
Max Folkers, a certified HomeLight Buy Before You Sell agent, says this program removes much of the anxiety and stress associated with the traditional way of trying to emotionally, financially, and logistically balance a family move. He shares these two client testimonials:
“Due to [my client’s] husband’s illness, the family couldn’t allow people to come in and out of their home. Dealing with the stress of strangers constantly entering their home and having to adjust their routines for an open house was not feasible. Thanks to Buy Before You Sell, they moved into their new home swiftly and effortlessly, completely avoiding the burden of a lengthy selling process. The program’s ability to provide them with peace of mind has made them a lifelong HomeLight fan.”
New parents need a new home for a new baby
Folkers also shares how the buy-sell program helped a young couple during one of life’s biggest transitions:
“My clients recently became parents and wanted to upgrade to a larger home. However, the stress of caring for a newborn baby made the idea of preparing their [current home] for sale overwhelming. They needed the convenience of moving into their new home first to ensure the baby’s comfort and safety without compromising their home sale profits. The client was able to transition smoothly into their new home, and my team was able to maximize the selling price of their old home through repairs, staging, and selling it unoccupied.”
Time to repair and stage for more proceeds
Brooke McCreary, a top-performing Los Angeles area agent, shares how HomeLight’s Buy Before You Sell program helped boost her client’s profits compared to a traditional sell-first transaction.
“By enabling them to move into their new home before selling their old one, we were able to make the necessary repairs and show the home in an empty and staged condition. As a result, we successfully sold their home for an astounding $158,000 above the initial asking price, ultimately putting more money back into the client’s pockets.”
Family with autistic children need a larger home
Andrew Lewis, a top agent serving California’s Inland Empire, says he had a client fall in love with a larger house that they needed for their family of six. They wanted to make an offer but needed to sell their home first. What made the situation more challenging was that they have autistic children.
“The thought of trying to show their home to prospective buyers in their current situation was extremely overwhelming, and had previously stopped them from listing their home. They also could not sell their home before they had a definite new home to move into, as indefinite renting was not ideal for their family situation. We applied for Buy Before You Sell immediately, and they were approved. This family was able to move out of their 1,000-square-foot home and bought a 4,000-square-foot home shortly after they were approved.”
More HomeLight buyer and seller solutions
HomeLight also offers other helpful real estate solutions for buyers and sellers throughout the country, such as Agent Match, which helps you find top real estate agents, and Simple Sale, a convenient way to receive a no-obligation, all-cash offer to sell your home in as little as 10 days.
“I couldn’t be happier with my experience with HomeLight and their amazing staff! I can honestly say that it’s been my best experience with any of the seven property purchases I’ve made over the years. They were responsive, helpful, and patient. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.” — Joseph A. of San Diego, California
HomeLight maintains an accredited A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. The company holds a 4.8-star Google customer review rating.
You can read more customer testimonials at this link.
Free online tools and resources offered by HomeLight
Curious What Your Home Is Worth?
Get a near-instant real estate house price estimate from HomeLight for free. Our tool analyzes the records of recently sold homes near you, your home’s last sale price, and other market trends to provide a preliminary range of value in under two minutes.
FAQs about HomeLight Buy Before You Sell
It’s free to get started and see how much equity you can unlock. If you decide to transact using the program, there is a fee of 2.4% of the departing residence home sale. (Program requirements and fees are subject to change, and minimums do apply. Click here for the most current details.)
The amount of equity you can unlock is determined using our proprietary algorithm, which takes into consideration an estimation of the home’s value, current market conditions, projected market risk, borrower financials, outstanding loans, and more. You’ll then be eligible to receive a loan to unlock a portion of the overall equity you have in your home upfront through HomeLight Home Loans, Inc., prior to selling the home — and will receive the remainder of your equity after the home sells, less transaction and program fees.
Not a problem! We consider all properties for the program regardless of days on market, and will adjust the Equity Unlock Amount according to your property’s risk profile.
HomeLight partners with top agents nationwide to make buying and selling a home simpler, more certain, and satisfying for all. If your current home doesn’t sell within 120 days of the closing of your new home, HomeLight will buy the property and continue to work with you to sell it. Any profits from the sale, after deducting HomeLight’s incurred costs, will be distributed to the client.
You can use your Equity Unlock Amount for more than just a down payment on your new home. You can also use it for moving expenses, closing expenses, property repairs, and more! Contact us to find out more details.
Is HomeLight Buy Before You Sell right for you?
If you value the ability to purchase your next home before selling your current one, want to make strong, non-contingent offers, and appreciate expert support throughout the process, HomeLight Buy Before You Sell may be an excellent choice.
We invite you to explore Buy Before You Sell today. You can try our near-instant Equity Unlock Calculator without commitment. Additionally, HomeLight’s Agent Match platform can connect you with top real estate agents in your market who can provide expert guidance and personalized service.
In closing, Marion summarizes the key benefits of HomeLight Buy Before You Sell: “This gives you the chance to move out after the purchase of your new home, where there’s less pressure to sell. It alleviates the fear of not having a place to live and can also lead to a more profitable sale of your old home.”
Header Image Source: (Clay Banks/Unsplash)
At HomeLight, our vision is a world where every real estate transaction is simple, certain, and satisfying. Therefore, we promote strict editorial integrity in each of our posts.
