Orchard Reviews: Compare This Home Buy-Sell Program
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Richard Haddad Managing EditorClose
Richard Haddad Managing EditorRichard Haddad is the managing 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.
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.
Generations of homeowners like you have faced the buy-sell timing conundrum — when you want to buy a new house but have to sell your current home to do it. Modern real estate companies like Orchard now offer innovative solutions to simplify this process, allowing you to leverage your home’s equity so you can buy before you sell (and only move once).
In this post, we explore Orchard’s buy-sell program, providing you with an overview of how this service works, and information about Orchard reviews to help you make an informed decision about your next move.
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 Orchard?
Orchard is a real estate company that offers innovative solutions for homeowners looking to buy and sell homes. Founded in 2017, Orchard provides services that allow you to move into your new home before selling your old one. By using your current home’s equity, Orchard can help you make stronger offers on new properties, eliminating the stress and uncertainty of contingent offers.
The company’s CEO and Co-Founder, Court Cunningham, explained in a press release, “At Orchard, we make home buying stress-free, fair and simple.”
How does Orchard work?
Orchard simplifies the home buying and selling process through two main services: Move First and List with Orchard.
Buying and selling: Orchard Move First
With Orchard’s Move First service, you can purchase your new home before selling your current one. Here’s how it works:
- Home valuation: Orchard evaluates your current home’s market value.
- Equity unlock: Through its “equity advance” process, Orchard unlocks a portion of your home’s equity to use as a down payment for your new home.
- Non-contingent offer: You can make a stronger, non-contingent offer on your next home, increasing your chances of securing it.
- Seamless move: Once you purchase your new home, you move in, and Orchard lists your old home for sale and offers a home sale guarantee.
- Sale support: Orchard handles the sale of your old home, allowing you to skip the showings and the stress of a traditional sale.
Selling: List with Orchard
Orchard also offers a listing service for those who are only looking to sell their home. Here’s what you can expect:
- Expert pricing: Orchard provides an experienced local real estate agent to help you set an accurate and effective list price based on your market and similar homes.
- Selling options: The company will show you all your selling options, including selling on the market or selling to a cash buyer or investor.
- Market listing: If you decide to sell on the market, Orchard will list your home, leveraging its marketing expertise to attract buyers.
- Home preparations: The Orchard team will help you prepare your home for sale. This includes taking professional photos, creating a 3D tour, and targeted marketing. You’ll also receive recommendations and assistance with some repairs.
- Home showings: The company’s agent coordinates and manages showings, providing you with regular updates. The agent will also guide you through the closing process, making it as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Orchard also has an additional paid “Concierge Service” option to handle more extensive cleaning, staging, repairs, and renovations. (More on this later in our post.)
Not an iBuyer: Orchard is not an iBuyer or house-buying company. IBuyers make instant cash offers and purchase homes directly. While the company does occasionally purchase homes from clients, its core advertised service is to help customers unlock equity to buy a new home before selling their old one.
Does Orchard serve your area?
According to its website, Orchard currently serves customers selling in the following metropolitan areas:
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
- Denver, CO
- Houston, TX
- San Antonio, TX
Orchard agents can help you purchase new construction or resale homes in any of the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, KS, LA, MI, NC, NM, OH, OR, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, WA.
How much does Orchard cost?
Orchard’s pricing structure is straightforward and transparent. The costs associated with its two main services are clearly posted on its website.
Move First: This service typically costs 6% of your home sale price plus a 2.4% program fee. For example, if your home sells for $400,000, you would pay $24,000 (6%) in commission and $9,600 (2.4%) for the program fee, totaling $33,600.
List with Orchard: This service typically costs 6% of your home sale price, similar to traditional real estate agent commissions. For instance, if your home sells for $400,000, you would pay $24,000 (6%) in commission.
What types of homes fit best with Orchard?
Orchard is designed to work with a wide variety of homes, but some properties are better suited for their services than others. Homes that fit best with Orchard typically include:
- Single-family homes: These are the most common type of property Orchard deals with, offering the best match for their services.
- Homes in its service areas: Orchard’s full services are currently only available in select metro areas in Georgia, Texas, and Colorado. Listing services are available in 21 states.
- Well-maintained properties: Homes in good condition tend to sell faster and for higher prices, making the process smoother and more efficient.
- Homes in desirable locations: Properties located in sought-after neighborhoods or areas with good school districts often benefit most from Orchard’s platform.
- Mid-market homes: Homes in the mid-market range (neither luxury nor distressed) are ideally suited for Orchard’s services.
Orchard reviews and ratings
Orchard has both high and low review scores across various platforms. Below are some of Orchard’s customer ratings from several popular review sites:
- Better Business Bureau (BBB): Orchard maintains a BBB accreditation with an A rating. The company currently has a 2.8-star customer review rating out of 5 stars.
- Trustpilot: On Trustpilot, Orchard enjoys a significantly higher customer review ranking of 4.3 stars out of 5.
- Yelp: At only 1.5 stars, reviews on Yelp reflect a low customer rating average for Orchard. However, the site only has eight submitted reviews for the company.
- Glassdoor: Employee reviews on Glassdoor provide insights into the company culture and work environment. Employees give Orchard 3.8 stars out of 5, and 64% would recommend the company to a friend.
Orchard does not appear to have a Google Business page where customers can post Google Reviews. However, like many companies, Orchard maintains its own review page, which currently reflects a high 4.9 stars out of 5 with nearly 700 reviews.
Examples of positive Orchard reviews
Customers often commend Orchard for its efficient and user-friendly services. Here are some examples of positive feedback we found on the BBB website:
Libbie K: From start to finish, a flawless organized team of professionals who took care of our every home selling and home purchasing and financing needs. Thank you so very much.
Craig C: Very professional. I was blown away. In a buyer’s market… my house went into contract in 4 days. I attribute this to the Orchard team’s knowledge and expertise.
Alisa B: My experience was such a breeze because [our agent] went above and beyond at every step to make sure I had the best experience possible. I highly recommend Orchard to anyone buying or selling! It truly is the one-stop shop for all things home-owning!
Kristen t: I’ve bought several homes over the years but never had an experience like I had with Orchard. It was a smooth process from start to finish. I had a fast close, and [our agent] and his whole team were more than accommodating and pleasant to deal with. I would recommend them to anyone looking to sell or buy a home.
Examples of negative Orchard reviews
While many customers have positive experiences with Orchard, some have encountered challenges. Here are some examples of negative feedback posted to the BBB site:
Cameron: We were given no advice on how to present our home for showings, no guidance through the process at all. Instead, we were saddled with an agent that required us to babysit her and her work while we tried to prepare a house for sale for the first time.
Juan: They are unresponsive to emails, texts, and phone calls, and that has cost us thousands of dollars while trying to sell our home with them.
Jeffery: Their website says that after the initial payment and you have moved into your new house, you get to control what the house is listed for on the open market, but that is so far from the truth, and they refuse to stand by anything their website or commercials say.
Orchard’s customer service team regularly responds to formal complaints posted on BBB and other platforms. From their business responses, it appears they genuinely strive to resolve customer concerns.
Editor’s note: It’s important to note that most all real estate companies receive complaints, and it’s difficult to fully assess the overall quality of service of a company based on only a few review examples where context is not known. HomeLight encourages you to do your own research and keep in mind that this company has many satisfied customers.
How Much Is Your Home Worth Now?
Home values have rapidly increased in recent years. How much is your current home worth now? Get a ballpark estimate from HomeLight’s free Home Value Estimator.
Pros and cons of using Orchard
Pros
- Seamless transition: Allows you to buy your new home before selling your current one, making the move smoother.
- Stronger offers: The Orchard program uses your home’s equity to make non-contingent offers, increasing your chances of securing the home you want.
- Expert support: Provides support through every step of the buying and selling process.
- Home sale preparation: Offers services to help prepare and market your home, including taking photos, creating a video tour, and recommendations and assistance about repairs.
Cons
- Cost: The combined program fee and commission can be higher than traditional real estate transactions.
- Limited availability: Currently serves select metropolitan areas, which may not cover all potential customers.
- Process delays: Some customers have reported delays in the selling process.
- Miscommunication: Occasional instances of unclear communication leading to misunderstandings.
What other services does Orchard offer?
- Orchard Title: This is Orchard’s full-service title insurance agency dedicated to assisting home sellers and buyers in their service areas. The company describes this as a “simple, convenient closing process through technology and solid client relationships.”
- Orchard Mortgage: Orchard provides home loan services to help you finance your new home. As with its other services, the company aims to simplify the process of getting pre-approved and achieving your homeownership goals.
- Orchard Concierge: If you purchase this extra service, you’ll work with an Orchard Renovation Lead who will recommend repairs and updates to your home, provide cost and timeline estimates, and see all projects to completion. By enhancing your home’s appeal, this added service can help you achieve a faster sale and potentially higher offers.
Orchard alternatives
- Buy Before You Sell programs These innovative programs, similar to Orchard, allow you to buy your new home before selling your current one by leveraging your home’s equity. They provide a seamless transition and enable stronger, non-contingent offers. HomeLight offers a proven Buy Before You Sell program. (More on this below.)
- Bridge loans: Bridge loans offer short-term financing to cover the gap between buying a new home and selling your old one. They can be an effective solution if you need quick access to funds for your new purchase.
- Rent-back agreements Rent-back agreements allow you to sell your home and then rent it back from the buyer for a specified period. This arrangement gives you more time to find and purchase your new home while avoiding the need to move twice.
- Hire a top real estate agent: Working with an experienced real estate agent can provide personalized guidance and support throughout the buying and selling process. A top agent can help you navigate the market, negotiate offers, and ensure a smooth transaction.
How does HomeLight Buy Before You Sell work?
Contact HomeLight to get started today, or ask your agent how HomeLight Buy Before You Sell can provide you with a smoother, contingency-free purchase experience.
Other tools offered by HomeLight
Is Orchard right for you?
Deciding whether Orchard is the right fit for your real estate needs depends on your specific circumstances and goals. If you value the ability to purchase a new home before selling your current one, want to make stronger offers, and appreciate comprehensive support throughout the process, buy-and-sell programs from Orchard or HomeLight could be an excellent choice.
As with any transaction involving a high-value asset like your home, vet providers carefully, consider the costs, and ensure their services are available in your area.
We invite you to explore HomeLight’s Buy Before You Sell program, which offers a seamless experience. It allows you to buy first with a stronger offer and sell later. Additionally, HomeLight’s Agent Match platform connects you with top real estate agents who can provide expert guidance and personalized service.
Whether you opt for Orchard or another service, taking advantage of these innovative solutions can help make your home buying and selling experience as smooth and successful as possible.
Header Image Source: (fotografiecor / Depositphotos)
