Orchard is a real estate company that streamlines the process of buying and selling a house at the same time by helping homeowners unlock their equity before they sell.
- Orchard's signature Move First program advances homeowners the equity from their current house to make a non-contingent offer on a new one before they list. The equity advance can be used to cover the down payment and closing costs on a new house, as well as moving expenses and pre-listing home improvements such as new paint and flooring.
- Orchard also offers a cash offer program providing up to 84% of your current home equity upfront, plus the option to list for additional upside (minus program fees).
In exchange for Orchard's services, you'll pay a 6% brokerage fee to cover your agents' commissions, plus program fees ranging from 2.4–7%.[1] Orchard also requires you to work with its in-house agents, rather than being free to select your own — which has earned the brokerage lower ratings than some of its competitors.
Before signing anything with Orchard, we recommend exploring a few competitors — including iBuyers and other buy-before-you-sell programs that let you choose your own agent.
To save time, you can start with a real estate marketplace like Clever Offers, which lets you quickly compare cash offer solutions, ranging from iBuyers to buy-before-you-sell programs providing cash upfront with the opportunity to list for additional upside. Complete a quick form to see which offers you qualify for, and sell on your terms with the offer that's right for you — no added fees or obligation.
Orchard highlights
- ⭐️ Average customer rating: 4.36/5 (746 reviews)
- 💼 How it works: Choose between a traditional listing, cash offer, or equity advance to buy before you sell
- 💵 Fees: 6% brokerage fee, plus program fees ranging from 2.4–7%
- 📍 Locations: Select markets in AZ, CA, CO, GA, TN, TX, WA
- ✅ Pros: No-interest equity advance; backup cash offer; funding for home prep
- ❌ Cons: Must use an Orchard agent; you'll pay 8.4% in service fees and brokerage fees
Is Orchard right for you?
Pros
- Access your home equity to buy a new home before selling
- List on the open market with a backup cash offer
- Funding for home improvements, with no upfront cost
Cons
- You'll pay about 8.4% in service fees
- Orchard's backup offer is significantly below market value
- Must use Orchard-assigned agent to sell your house
Orchard's programs are designed to make the process of buying and selling more convenient — you can avoid living in your home while it's being listed, and you only have to move once — even if the buy and sell dates don't match up. Orchard’s services are ideal for homeowners who:
- Need to buy a new home before selling their old one
- Don’t want to worry about repairs on your current home
- Prefer to move out of your old home before showings start
- Live in a hot market and don’t want to risk waiting
However, Orchard's fees make it a pricier option than going with a realtor (especially a realtor offering low commission rates) or even an iBuyer. And if your home doesn't sell within a 120 day period, you stand to lose out on a lot of money by accepting Orchard's backup offer.
Orchard claims they match you with top local agents in your area, but this isn’t always true. Some recent customer reviews state that agents were hard to get in touch with and didn't put a lot of effort into getting their home sold.[2]
Additionally, Orchard is available in a limited area, and not all homes will qualify for their service. For instance, your property may not be eligible if you’re selling a home that needs major work because it won’t meet the company’s valuation requirements.[4]
Orchard vs. Homeward
Orchard has recently teamed up with Homeward to offer a Cash Offer + Upside option to home sellers who need to sell fast. The program gives homeowners up to 84% of their home value upfront, However, it's one of the more expensive options available — costing 7% of your home's final sale price, plus brokerage fees (6% if you use Orchard) and closing costs.
In addition to its Cash Offer + Upside program, Homeward offers a competing buy-before-you-sell program costing 3.5%, compared to 2.4% for Orchard's Move First.
With Homeward, you're free to choose your own agent, which may save you significantly on realtor fees. You can also save on program fees when you bundle your mortgage and title services with Homeward — although, it's best to shop around to ensure you're getting the best rates and terms for your home loan.
Homeward doesn't offer a concierge service like Orchard does, so if you're interested in making pre-listing home improvements, you'll need to work with your agent to find a contractor willing to defer payment until closing.
Orchard vs. Opendoor
As the nation’s largest iBuyer, Opendoor is known for delivering fast, hassle-free home sales. Sellers can receive an offer within 24–48 hours, skip the repairs and showings, and choose their own closing date. Opendoor also pays closer to market value than traditional fix-and-flip investors, since it focuses on homes in good locations and decent condition.
However, Opendoor charges a 5% service fee for its cash offer and deducts the full amount estimated for repairs. Plus, when you accept its cash offer, there's no opportunity to list for additional upside.
By contrast, Orchard gives you a portion of your home equity upfront and also lets you list your home on the MLS for additional upside, giving you the opportunity to sell for at or above market value. However, the process takes longer than with Opendoor, and you'll pay both a 2.4% service fee and a brokerage fee of 6%.
How Orchard works
Orchard offers customers three distinct products — its flagship Move First program, a traditional listing option, or a Cash Offer option powered by partnering iBuyer companies.
Move First
Orchard's Move First program provides an equity loan allowing you to purchase a new home before selling your old one. Because the equity loan is based on your current home value, you can make a contingency-free offer backed by Orchard's cash. This is especially helpful when buying in a competitive market where sellers may want to avoid offers that are contingent on your current house selling.
Here’s what you can expect from Move First:
- Complete a home assessment by submitting basic information about your property.
- You'll be approved through Orchard's buy-before-you-sell partner, HomeLight
- Unlock your equity through an interest-free loan you can use as a down payment on a new home.
- Make an attractive, non-contingent offer on your new home.
- Move into your new home while Orchard’s concierge service preps your old house for the market.
- List your home and sell through an Orchard-appointed real estate agent.
To qualify for Orchard's Move First program, you must have:
- A minimum credit score of 620
- A single-family residence valued between $150,000 and $2,000,000, not currently listed
Costs include a brokerage fee equal to 6% of your home sale price, plus an additional 2.4% for the equity advance.
If your home doesn’t sell within 120 days, Orchard will purchase it at a previously agreed upon price and continue to list the property until it sells. While Orchard doesn't specify the exact amount of its backup offer, recent customer reviews indicate that it's below market value — sometimes by a significant amount. However, you'll receive any extra earnings if the final sale nets a profit above Orchard’s costs.
Cash Offer
With Orchard's Cash Offer option, you can explore offers from iBuyers like Offerpad and Opendoor, assisted by an Orchard agent. You can also look into Homeward's Cash Offer + Upside option, which gives you up to 84% of your home value upfront, with the opportunity to list it for additional upside.
To request cash offers through Orchard, you'll pay Orchard's brokerage fees (usually 3% to sell and 3% to buy) on top of the 5% program fees charged by Orchard's iBuying partners. Homeward's Cash Offer + Upside option will cost you an extra 7% in program fees, plus carrying costs (like taxes and utilities) while your old home sells.
It's worth noting that selling to an iBuyer doesn't actually require you to work with an agent. If you're considering the iBuyer route, you could save a lot of money requesting offers on your own.
List with Orchard
Orchard's listing services resemble that of a traditional brokerage. The only difference is that you'll be working with an assigned Orchard agent to facilitate your home sale.
Orchard Concierge service
When you sell a home with Orchard, you can also take advantage of its concierge service, which provides financing for pre-listing home improvements at no upfront cost. Instead of paying out of pocket, the costs are taken out of the proceeds from your home sale. Qualifying home improvements include:
- New flooring or carpet
- Interior and exterior paint
- Minor siding and trim repairs
- Pressure washing
- Odor remediation
- Pest control
- Junk removal
Orchard Title
Orchard Title partners with third-party vendors (including First American and Fidelity National Title Insurance) to provide customers with title insurance, property searches, and settlement and escrow services.
Orchard fees
| Brokerage fee | 6% |
| Move First program fee | 2.4% |
| Cash Offer fees | 5–7%, depending on the cash buyer |
| Concierge service* | Varies |
*Separate, interest-free loan for pre-listing repairs and home improvements, paid back at closing
Orchard may offer a convenient selling and buying process with interest-free loans upfront, but you pay for the convenience on the backend.
The company’s brokerage is the same 6% you would expect to pay at most major real estate brokerages, but the Move First program adds an extra 2.4% when your home sells. According to the company's website, you can also expect to pay around 1% in closing costs, which is standard with most real estate transactions.[5]
To take advantage of the cash offer option, you'll pay additional service fees of 5% (if you sell to Opendoor or Offerpad) or 7%, if you use Homeward to get cash upfront, plus additional upside when you list.
These fees align with other buy-before-you-sell programs that offer similar pre-purchase loans. However, you can likely save thousands on realtor fees by working with a low-commission real estate brokerage that typically charges half the average commission.
Orchard reviews and complaints
| Source | Average Rating | Review Count |
|---|---|---|
| BBB | 3.5/5 | 35 |
| Trustpilot | 4.4/5 | 711 |
| Weighted Average: | 4.4/5 | 746 |
Orchard has generally positive feedback, with a 4.36 out of 5 rating from 746 reviews across TrustPilot and the Better Business Bureau.
Most customers praise the company for a smooth and uncomplicated process when buying and selling at the same time. Customers also appreciate the dedication of certain agents.
However, a handful of reviews reflect disappointing experiences with Orchard agents, who failed to communicate proactively or get their homes sold as quickly or for as much money as they hoped.
✅ Orchard makes it easier to buy and sell at the same time
The most common positive theme from Orchard reviews is that the company makes the process of buying and selling easier, and a lot less stressful.
"They took away all the stress and uncertainty of trying to do back-to-back closings when having to sell your current house in order to buy your next. I'll definitely use them again."
For instance, on March 12, 2025, a reviewer on Trustpilot wrote:
“Orchard relieved a lot of the stress with buying and selling a home. The greatest part was getting the equity advance which enabled us to purchase another home while our home was on the market. Our home sold above the initial offer and we received additional proceeds at closing. The Orchard team was fantastic and did everything they said they would do. I highly recommend Orchard to anyone looking to sell and buy another home.”
✅ Great service from certain Orchard agents
Customers also mention highly positive experiences with certain Orchard agents.
"Working with Katie Brooks was the best experience ever! She's a true professional who listened to my needs and provided multiple solutions. She had my house sold in less than a week! She also did fantastic helping me through the process."
❌ Lackluster service from other Orchard agents
Some negative Orchard reviews focused on agents’ lack of communication and attention, resulting in difficulties with the buying or selling process, including cancelled contracts and homes that sit on the market.
For example, these home sellers on Trustpilot complained that they watched their home sit on the market for months and found it difficult to get updates from their Orchard agent:
"The process started off well, but it felt like Travis (our listing agent) became disinterested or maybe he was overloaded? We felt like we were inconveniencing him by reaching out for an update. The follow-through of whether or not any offers were made or when offers were made left us wanting. It was stressful and inconsistent. Our first contract fell through and we barely heard from Travis…we were scared because so much time had been used of our 120 days which negatively impacted our listing because now it looks like it was on the market for 2 months which can cause a hesitation on why it’s been sitting so long."
Another reviewer on Trustpilot noted that he rarely heard from his agent and was charged excessive fees during the period that his home sat on the market. The homeowner also felt that there was a lack of commitment to get the home sold for top dollar:
There was very little communication during the listing, I have to contact the realtor every time to ask her what was going on, a lot of the fees were not explained correctly to me up front, I was overcharged for things like lawn maintenance and utility bills after I moved out…The only convenient part was that I was able to move out and purchase my other home before we listed my home but It ultimately cost me money. You're given a percentage to do that which is around 85% of the home's value with the agreement that they will try to sell it for the other 15% or higher to get full value or more but I don't believe they were proactive to do that. I would not use Orchard again. I will just do a traditional real estate agency.
❌ Homes sell for less than expected
Some reviewers indicated that the Orchard agents roped them into a listing agreement by promising them a much higher sale price than they ended up getting for their house.
From the start, she gave a very polished and convincing introduction, promising high investor offers and claiming her investors typically paid top dollar. Unfortunately, the reality was different. The offers we received were significantly lower than what she had led us to expect. Most concerning was that the offers stated the buyer would cover the closing costs and title policy - but in the end, we ended up paying the closing costs ourselves.
Other reviewers noted that they agreed to use Orchard based on the 'guaranteed offer' amount, only to have the offer lowered after signing the contract.
Use extreme caution when choosing Orchard. This company will give you a guaranteed offer. However, this company has no idea what guaranteed means. My offer was reduced by $20,000 two days after accepting the so called guaranteed offer. They made me feel like a sucker.
Orchard did reply stating they have a 5-day due diligence period. It was during that period that a home assessment walkthrough led to a reduction of the initial offer. But the reviewer expressed being unaware of that policy.
Is Orchard legitimate?
Orchard was initially established as Perch in 2017 by real estate expert Court Cunningham and rebranded as Orchard in 2020.[6] Since its inception, the company has expanded its buy-before-you-sell services to major metros in AZ, CA, CO, GA, TN, TX, WA.
According to a 2021 Bloomberg report, Orchard was valued at $1 billion after raising $100 million in capital through Accomplice.[7] However, this valuation happened at the height of a real estate boom, so the company’s current value may not be as high.
In 2024, Orchard announced that it was entering into a partnership with HomeLight to power its Move First program — meaning home sellers now get approved for their home loan with HomeLight lending partners.[3]
Orchard is BBB-accredited and maintains an A rating.[8] It also has 746 verified customer reviews on the BBB website and Trustpilot.
Eligibility criteria
To qualify for Orchard's Move First program, you must have a minimum credit score of 620 and be selling a single-family home valued between $150,000 and $2,000,000. The home cannot currently be listed for sale on the market.
To qualify for Orchard's cash offer program, you must meet the eligibility requirements of the partnering iBuyer.
📍 Orchard locations
Orchard is currently available in the following markets. Select your local market to find additional cash offer products available near you.
FAQs
Are Orchard and Opendoor the same company?
No, Orchard and Opendoor are separate companies with unique business models. Opendoor is an iBuyer that purchases homes for cash and offers home sellers flexible closing dates. Orchard helps home sellers finance a new home before they sell their old one by advancing them a portion of their current home equity.
Does Orchard charge a fee?
Yes, Orchard's Move First program comes with a 2.4% service fee. You'll also pay about 6% in brokerage fees to buy and sell your home.
Is Orchard reputable?
Yes, Orchard maintains an average 4.36/5 rating across 746 customer reviews, indicating that many home sellers have had positive experiences the company. However, some customers express concerns with the agents they are assigned, so it may be worth looking into other buy-before-you-sell programs that allow you to choose your own realtor.
Methodology
We evaluate each buy-before-you-sell company based on five core criteria and create a weighted score:
- Customer reviews
- Service quality
- Fees and other costs
- Credibility
Customer reviews
Review analysis. We perform an in-depth analysis of all the available customer reviews to determine trends. We break down the reviews by theme and sentiment, and filter out spam reviews to determine our rating.
Company responsiveness. Negative reviews are part of doing business; however, we note whether a company is actively involved in resolving customer complaints.
Service quality
We rely on secret shopping and fact-checking interviews with company representatives to look for indicators that the company is professional, communicative, customer-focused, and ethical in its dealings with customers. We verify this information against customer reviews and interviews with past customers or professionals (realtors, former employees) who have had direct experience working with the brand.
Fees and other costs
Competitiveness. We look at how the company's fees and other costs compare to competitors.
Value. We consider whether the fees are justified by the value offered.
Credibility
Trust signals. We look at how long the company has been in business, the number of verified customer reviews it has, how willing the company was to answer questions about their business model when we contacted them, and how easy it is to find detailed information on their website — including the names and contact details of specific team members. We also look at customer reviews indicating whether the company acts with honesty and integrity in their business dealings.
