Orchard Reviews: Is It Worth the Extra Fees?

For sellers who need the cash from their current home to buy a new one, Orchard Real Estate provides a convenient solution: Get a short-term equity advance to secure the new house, then list for full market value and repay the loan once it closes.

As part of their Move First program, Orchard also provides a backup cash offer, which allows you to eliminate the home sale contingency from your purchase offer on a new home. This ups your chances of getting the offer accepted, since it eliminates a major risk for sellers who also need the funds from their home sale to make their next move. If you're in an extreme time crunch, you can also field straight cash offers from Orchard's buying partners.

While convenient, selling through Orchard will cost you more than a traditional sale. The company charges a 1.9–2.4% service fee ($9,000 minimum) on top of the standard brokerage commission. Fees for Orchard's cash offer partners can cost as much as 7%. You're also required to use an Orchard listing agent to sell your house, though you can bring your own agent to buy.

A final consideration is that Orchard's backup offer is worth less than full market value, which could be a problem in a slow market if your home doesn't sell within the 120-day listing window.

Want a simpler way to compare your options? Clever Offers makes it easy to find the best path forward for your home sale by helping you compare a variety of options all in one place — ranging from competitive cash offers to buy-before-you-sell solutions providing cash upfront, plus additional upside at closing. Get started with a few quick details about your home and see your best options side-by-side — no added fees or obligation to move forward.

🔎 Orchard Real Estate at a glance

What is Orchard Real Estate?

Orchard is a real estate brokerage that advertises "stress-free solutions" to buy and sell a home.

Orchard's signature Move First program lets you tap a portion of your home's equity — widely reported as up to about 70% — to buy a new house before you sell. Instead of having to rush the sale to unlock the funds or carry two mortgages at once, you can move when you find the right place and sell your existing home when you're ready.

You can use Orchard's funds to spruce up your current house, make a down payment on a new one, and continue paying down your existing mortgage while you sell. You pay back the equity loan once your old home closes and can call on Orchard's guaranteed backup offer if it takes more than 120 days.

Since its founding in 2017, Orchard says it has helped more than 12,000 customers and handled over $5 billion in homes bought and sold, with sellers achieving a 96% sale-to-list price ratio over the three months ending November 2025.[1]

Orchard is ideal if you:

• Need to sell quickly, but don't want to give away your equity
• Need the funds from your current house to buy a new house
• Need to make a few repairs on your current home, but don't want to put money in upfront
• Don’t want to live in your house while it’s on the market
• Are trying to buy in a competitive housing market

However, Orchard may not be the best fit for everyone.

Orchard Real Estate pros & cons

Orchard's Move First program may streamline the buying and selling process, but is it worth it? Let’s look at the pros and cons.

Pros

✅ Freedom to move when you're ready

With Orchard’s Move First option, you can purchase a new home before selling and move when you're ready — no home sale contingency, temporary housing, or simultaneous mortgage payments.

Realtor Jessica Wade of eXp Realty in Gainesville, GA, has seen the convenience pay off for the right clients: "My clients who use this process have had a lot of success. They were able to buy, move out, fix their house up, and then sell. Having a vacant house to sell is much easier than juggling showings with the busy schedules of families with children and pets."[2]

✅ Use the equity advance to cover multiple expenses

In addition to a cash offer, Orchard's Equity can be used for multiple expenses, such as:

• A down payment on a new home
• Closing costs
• Orchard's program fees
• Up to 4 months of mortgage payments
• Moving expenses
• Repairs as you get your house ready to sell
• Other debts affecting debt-to-income (DTI) ratio

✅ Home prep services at no upfront cost

For homes that could use some freshening up prior to listing, Orchard's Concierge Service can help you make the necessary improvements at no upfront cost. Orchard's team manages the work with its vendors and you can pay them back at the close of your home sale

✅ Guaranteed backup offer

If your home doesn’t sell within a 120-day window, Orchard will provide a guaranteed backup offer through one of its partners. You’ll agree upon the Purchase Offer upfront, giving you peace of mind that your house will sell one way or another.

Cons

❌ Total fees run high

To work with Orchard, you'll pay a 3% listing agent commission, plus program fees ranging from 1.9–2.4% for Move First, all the way up to 7% for the Cash Offer + Upside option. You'll also pay for any home prep you make through Orchard's Concierge Service. These fees are on top of standard closing costs and any buyer's agent commission you choose to cover.

❌ Backup offer will be less than market value

While most Orchard customers sell their homes through a traditional listing, if your home doesn't fetch a buyer within 120 days, you may end up selling it to one of Orchard's partners for less than it's really worth. Otherwise, you'll pay additional fees to extend your listing period.

❌ You won't get to choose your agent

You must use an Orchard listing agent to sell your home, though you can bring your own agent to buy. While some sellers have great experiences with Orchard agents, others felt theirs lacked the drive to sell quickly and for top dollar.

❌ Concierge Service may be overpriced

Orchard uses their preferred contractors for its Concierge Service, which some customers say inflated the costs of home improvements compared to what they could have gotten through a competitive bidding process.

"[My clients] passed on the home-prep add-ons and instead used our in-house staging and cleaning teams," said Jacob Naig, realtor and owner of We Buy Houses In Des Moines. Many top agents have trusted contractors of their own, so it's worth comparing options.

Orchard Real Estate reviews

Source	Average Rating	Review Count
BBB	3.3/5	40
Trustpilot	4.1/5	783
Weighted Average:	4.1/5	823

Orchard has mixed reviews from sellers. Many clients praise the convenience of being able to buy a new home before selling, especially in competitive markets. Sellers also laud the team’s professionalism and the different options they bring to the table.

However, other reviewers report problems dealing with Orchard. The most common complaints involve high fees and unsatisfactory offers from their cash home buying partners.

✅ 'Huge help'

Orchard customers tend to appreciate the ability to move before selling, saving them the hassle of living through repairs and showings.

✅ 'Within 48 hours we had 2 offers'

A few clients mention the convenience of having a cash offer to fall back on — especially when they need to sell quickly.

✅ 'Great team'

Many sellers commend agents and other Orchard team members and comment on their professionalism, knowledge, and communication skills.

❌ 'Just another real estate scam'

Some recent reviews issues with one of Orchard's offers marketplace partners, Homeward. With this model, sellers receive a portion of their home value upfront with the possibility of receiving additional upside following an open market sale. However, the partner's 7% fee, plus additional reserve funds set aside for repairs, realtors costs, etc., leave some home sellers feeling disappointed with the final payout.

❌ 'Fees are extremely high'

A few sellers brought up unexpectedly high fees and lowball offers as some of the main problems they encountered with Orchard.

Orchard Real Estate vs. competitors

Company	Type	Program Fee	Use your own agent?	Coverage	Avg. customer rating
Orchard	Buy-before-you-sell	1.9–2.4% + 3–6% brokerage	❌	Multi-city	4.06/5 (823 reviews)
Clever Offers	Cash Offer Marketplace	Varies by partner	✅	Nationwide	4.9/5 (4,542 reviews)
Knock	Buy-before-you-sell	$2.25% + $1,850 loan origination	✅	Multi-state	4.78/5 (961 reviews)
Homeward	Buy-before-you-sell	3.5–7%	✅	Multi-state	4.48/5 (1,404 reviews)
Flyhomes	Buy-before-you-sell	1.5% loan origination + 9.990% APR	✅	Multi-state	4.87/5 (1,675 reviews)
Opendoor	iBuyer	5%	N/A	Nationwide	4.21/5 (4,460 reviews)

More Orchard alternatives to consider

A buy-before-you-sell company isn’t the only way to lessen the stress of buying and selling at the same time. Depending on your situation, working with a real estate agent or choosing an iBuyer could be a good — or better — option.

Sell with an experienced listing agent

One of the biggest tradeoffs of working with Orchard is that you don't get to pick your own listing agent, which is a huge deal when you're paying them 3% of your home sale price to represent your best interests.

While most agents can't pull a backup cash offer out of their pocket, they can mitigate a lot of the headaches of buying and selling at the same time by:

• Helping your explore alternative bridge loan or financing options
• Negotiating favorable terms, such as a fast closing if you've found already found a house, or a lease-back agreement if you need more time to look 
• Submitting your house to iBuyers and negotiating on price so you'll have a fall back in case your closing falls through

Working with an agent of your choice also gives you the best chance of saving on selling costs, since realtor fees are negotiable — especially when you have multiple agents competing for your business.

An agent-matching platform like Clever Real Estate can help you lower those costs further by connecting you with top-notch listing agents who charge just 1.5% through their network. You can interview as many agents as you like to find the perfect fit for your home.

In addition to knowing you have the right person for the job, a discounted commission rate can help offset some of the other expenses that come with buying and selling a home.

Sell to an iBuyer

With its upfront cash offer, selling to an iBuyer shortens the selling process and delivers the cash you need to buy a new home. But there are some downsides.

For instance, iBuyers tend to pay closer to the full market value for your home than other cash buyers, but they also charge service fees of 5% (or more). You also won’t have the opportunity to try selling your home on the open market first, which could result in a higher sale price.

Want a simpler way to compare your options? Clever Offers makes it easy to find the best route for your home sale — including options that let you get most of your home value upfront and then sell for additional upside once you've moved. Get started with a few quick details about your home — no added fees or obligation to move forward.

How Orchard Real Estate works

Orchard has two main options for sellers who want to use the company’s services: Move First and List with Orchard. Here’s what to expect if you decide to choose either option.

Orchard Move First

This service allows you to buy a new home and move in before putting your old place on the market. It is a convenient way to avoid the rush of searching for a new home after your old one is sold or a home sale contingency.

Here's how the Move First program works:

1. Apply for an equity loan based on your home’s value. Orchard partners with a variety of loan providers, so you'll need to meet their credit and equity requirements in addition to Orchard's.
2. Use the funds for a non-contingent offer on a new home and make a down payment. You can also use this money to pay closing costs or for your moving expenses.
3. Move out while Orchard prepares and lists your old home. The company will take professional photos of your property and will help you put it on the market.
4. When your home is sold and you receive money for it, pay Orchard back the equity advance and for any other services.
5. If the home doesn’t sell in four months, accept a backup offer or keep it listed.

Move First comes with a 1.9–2.4% program fee on top of the brokerage fee. The program fee varies by provider.

List with Orchard

This service is their more traditional selling option, where the homeowner puts the house on the market with the help of one of Orchard’s local realtors.

1. Start with a free valuation of your home to determine the right listing price.
2. Choose whether you want to list your property on the market or sell it for cash.
3. If you decide to list, Orchard will prepare your home for sale and assist with tasks such as professional photography, 3D tours, and marketing.
4. Your agent will provide full-service support through showings, offers, contract negotiations, and closing.

List with Orchard comes with a 3% brokerage fee, not including the amount you choose to offer a buyer's agent. You'll also pay traditional closing costs and any fees owed to Orchard's Concierge Service for home prep. An additional 3% brokerage fee applies if you also choose to buy with Orchard.

Orchard Cash Offer Marketplace

Orchard's newest service is a cash offer marketplace, which lets you compare offers from iBuyers like Offerpad, Opendoor, and Homeward with the guidance of an Orchard agent. You can also shop offers from investors in Orchard's network.

The benefit is that you can unlock the majority of your home value upfront — giving you more leverage than the equity advance — then list for additional upside. Alternatively, you can sell directly to an iBuyer or investor for minimum hassle and a guaranteed closing.

The downside is the cost. You'll pay as much as 7% in service fees to Orchard's cash offer partners, plus up to 6% in brokerage fees to sell your house and buy a new one. On a home worth $600,000, you could end up paying Orchard and its partners as much as $78,000 in fees.

While some sellers may appreciate having a real estate professional in their corner during offer reviews and negotiations, there's no requirement to work with an agent when selling to an iBuyer. If you're in a time crunch and considering the cash offer route, you can source offers directly from top iBuyers and then use their offer as a backup while testing the waters with a traditional listing.

Additional Orchard services

Concierge Service

If you sell with either the Move First or List with Orchard programs, you’ll be eligible for Orchard's Concierge Service, which is focused on preparing your home for showings and putting it on the market.

With this service, the company can do agreed-upon repairs and minor upgrades that may help attract more buyers and sell faster. Homeowners can also pay for these services after the home is sold, using the profits from the sale.

Just keep in mind that many top agents offer similar home prep services through contractors in their networks, so there's no need to work specifically with Orchard to defer the costs of home preparation until closing.

FastTrack

Orchard's FastTrack Offers program uses strategic pricing, pre-listing "coming soon" promotion, and a compressed showing window to drive early demand — with the goal of delivering a full-market-value offer in under 10 days.

There's no fee difference from a traditional listing, and if your home doesn't sell in that window, the listing simply continues as a standard listing at no added cost. Agents gauge fit based on confidence that your home will sell quickly, so not all properties qualify.

What to watch out for with Orchard

Orchard's equity advance isn’t for everybody. There are some things you’ll want to be aware of.

Not all homes are eligible

Orchard primarily works with single-family homes in good condition. Generally, manufactured homes, mobile homes, or homes with severe water or foundation damage don’t qualify.

Carrying costs can add up

If your home hasn't sold in 120 days, you'll need to decide between accepting a backup cash offer or extending your listing period for a fee (1.2% for 60 days, or 2–2.5% for 90 days, depending on your lien type).

The backup offer should be a last resort

Orchard's guaranteed backup offer is a nice perk, but don’t rely on it — it will typically be far less than your home’s market value. However, if you don't accept the offer, you'll pay additional fees of 1.2–2.5% to extend your listing.

This is where an experienced agent is helpful, so really consider whether you want to use Orchard or another buy before you sell program that lets you choose your own agent.

How does Orchard make money?

Orchard makes money by charging service fees on the programs it offers.

Orchard fees

Where is Orchard available?

Orchard is available in the following markets:[3] Select markets in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, TN, TX, WA.

Bottom line: Is Orchard worth it?

Orchard offers a convenient way to buy before selling, which can help you avoid a selling contingency and will allow you to shop for a new home on your timeline. However, this convenience comes at a cost — prepare to pay a 1.9–7% in program fees on top of the usual realtor fees and closing costs.

While the company’s Move First program has its benefits, there are alternatives to consider, including iBuyers and other buy-before-you-sell programs that allow you to choose your own agent.

Want a simpler way to compare your options? Clever Offers makes it easy to find the best path forward for your home sale by helping you compare a variety of options all in one place — ranging from competitive cash offers to buy-before-you-sell solutions providing cash upfront, plus additional upside at closing. Get started with a few quick details about your home and see your best options side-by-side — no added fees or obligation to move forward.

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