Clever Offers: Find the Best Cash Offers for Your Home

Clever Offers is a free service that helps you find the most competitive cash offers for your home.

As a home seller, you can explore a variety of offer types, ranging from direct offers from investors to more modern cash offers with an initial upfront payment, plus a second payout after an open market sale handled by a top listing agent — allowing you to move when you're ready without accepting less.

Powered by Clever Real Estate, which is rated 4.9/5 stars across user review sites like Google, Trustpilot, and the Better Business Bureau, the platform helps home sellers weigh their options — without tacking on fees or roping you into a deal.

"We make sure that all offers are presented and that the seller is really in the driver's seat and is able to make an informed decision," says Drake Shadwell, who oversees the team at Clever Offers.

Curious how much you could get for your house? Answer a few quick questions to get competing offers from investors, iBuyers, and more. Review offers without obligation and sell in as little as 7 days.

Who does Clever Offers work best for?

While Clever Real Estate offers solutions for most home sellers, its cash offer platform may be a particularly good fit if you:

• Need to sell quickly due to relocation or a change in circumstances
• Have been on the market for too long and need an out
• Are behind on your monthly mortgage payments
• Have a home that needs a lot of repairs
• Have a rental property you'd like to be rid of
• Have inherited an unwanted property
• Are helping a parent downsize from out of state
• Want to avoid the hassle of a traditional sale (showings, staging, etc.)

While many cash buyers can accommodate these circumstances, Clever Offers operates a bit differently. Rather than a single take-it-or-leave-it offer, the platform is designed to give you options.

"If a cash offer is out there that fits your needs, then we want you to be able to find it," says Shadwell. "But oftentimes sellers don't realize how much they're going to be leaving on the table with an off-market sale. They're thinking, 'an agent charges 6%, so I'll take that cut if someone will just buy my home.' But in reality, an investor wants a 20–30% cut."

"For some people, that works," Shadwell continues. "If you are in distress, if it's an inherited property that's out in the middle of nowhere that you just don't want to deal with — maybe you do want that off-market cash deal. But for a lot of people, that's when they want to meet with a real estate professional to look at some other options."

In those cases, Clever has trained up a network of agents who can deliver that desired combination of speed and convenience while keeping as much money as possible in your pocket. "You have maybe a weekend of showings, and then it's done, and you're taking a much smaller price cut," says Shadwell.

"Even on a tight timeline, there isn't just one option. And that's the whole idea behind Clever Offers," Shadwell continues. "We show you the pros and cons of each option and give as much guidance as we can to make an educated decision. As long as you lay out what the options are, people are highly capable of making those decisions on their own."

Pros and cons of Clever Offers

Key benefits of Clever Offers

✅ Flexible options

Clever Offers provides a unique advantage by allowing you to compare different selling methods —ranging from direct offers from investors and iBuyers to more modern cash offer products that combine upfront cash to fund your move, plus a second payout following an open market listing.

Through its 7 Day Sold option, Clever can also match you with a top-rated local realtor who may be able to net you more by putting your home on the market as is, specifically targeting cash buyers. There's no long-term commitment when you go with this option — you can cancel at any time and fall back on a cash offer you already have in hand.

Each option has unique benefits and drawbacks, which you'll have a chance weigh in order to choose the best approach for your situation. And if you decide to go another route, you can walk away with no strings attached.

"Curiosity is healthy, so we want to give our customers the opportunity to explore every avenue," says Shadwell.

✅ Legitimate buyers

Another benefit of working with Clever Offers is that you can trust that the buyers are vetted.

Before entering Clever's network, investors have to provide evidence of their transaction history and financing. Investors are then put through a probation period where they're monitored closely for their communication and performance.

"We're looking especially at things like price changes and contract contract validity — like how often are you falling out of contract?" explains Shadwell. Investors who repeatedly break contract, fail to provide earnest money, or are receive complaints are ejected from the network, he says.

✅ Full support 

The Clever Offers team stays involved in the process from start to finish. 

They'll explain exactly what you can expect from the process, connect you directly with cash buyers, and answer any questions you have about the various offers you receive.

They're also available to track down additional buyers or connect you with a realtor if you want to explore more options after getting an initial round of offers.

While Clever doesn't technically represent you or the seller during the transaction, they're there to ensure everything goes smoothly.

If you're concerned with how things are progressing or the transaction hits a snag, the team will troubleshoot any issues and follow up with the buyer on your behalf. 

"If the seller reaches out, we're usually able to make pretty solid contact with the investor, which can make the it makes a big difference for a lot of customers with their peace of mind," says Shadwell.

Potential downsides

⚠️ Offers may still be below market value

Even with multiple cash buyers making bids on your property, selling to an investor usually means accepting less than your home's potential open market value.

Many investors — including some of the cash buyers in Clever's network — base their offers on the 70% rule, meaning they'll offer no more than 70% of the home's potential market value after repairs.  

However, recognizing that traditional investor offers might not meet every seller's financial goals, Clever developed the Instant Cash Offer and 7 Day Sold options. These programs are designed to bridge the gap between quick cash sales and the higher potential of market sales. They allow your home to be exposed not only to investors but also to retail buyers, who may be willing to pay a higher price.

⚠️ You'll still need to do your due diligence

While Clever thoroughly screens its buyers and is available to address any questions or issues during the process, it doesn't technically represent you or the buyer during the sale. 

Its team can't advise you on which offer to accept or how to negotiate. Therefore, the company still recommends reviewing your offer contract with an attorney or realtor before signing. 

That said, Clever's team will do what it can to get you the most competitive offers to choose from and ensure that buyers follow through. They can also connect you with a trusted agent from their expansive network to represent your interests as you consider offers and weigh your options.

Clever Offers reviews: What customers have to say

Source	Average Rating	Review Count
BBB	4.8	60
Google	4.8	480
Trustpilot	4.9	3,861
Weighted Average:	4.9	4,401

Clever Real Estate has earned an average 5-star rating across thousands of customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot, Google, and the Better Business Bureau. 

While the company's agent matching service has been in business since 2017, its cash offer network has only been in operation since 2023. Therefore, few reviews specifically mention its cash offer service.

However, reviewers generally praise the company for offering an easy, pressure-free way to compare options and state that the outcome exceeded their expectations.

How Clever Offers works

1. Request an offer

You can call the Clever Offers team directly at (833) 725-3837 or fill out an online form with your contact info and basic information about your home. Clever usually responds within 1–2 hours.

2. Look for a call from Clever's team 

A member of the Clever Offers team will give you a call (or contact you by text or email, if you prefer) to walk you through your options and gather any remaining info, including:

• Why you're looking to sell
• Your time frame for selling
• A rough idea of your home value
• Your home's condition, including any major repair work needed or recent renovations
• Any issues with the property, such as problem tenants or financial complications
• The types of offers you'd be interested in pursuing (cash offers, seller financing, open market listing, etc.)
• Any questions you have about the offer process

Once you give Clever the green light, its Offers team will contact its buying partners on your behalf. 

3. Connect with buyers

Clever will facilitate introductions to prospective buyers through text or email, allowing you to schedule a time to connect and discuss your property. Each introduction will include the prospective buyer’s name, contact details, their affiliated company, and your property address to help them prepare.

Typically, buyers will reach out to schedule a discussion about their offer, providing you with a chance to immediately respond or to first conduct some background research by checking their websites and reading customer reviews.

4. Review your options

Once you've had a chance to connect with the buyers and see what they'll offer for your house, you have a few options:

• Accept the best offer and move forward with a contract
• Ask the team to introduce you to additional buyers
• Pursue other options outside of Clever

If you're on the fence about accepting a cash offer, you can also connect with a local realtor or two to see what they think your home can sell for on the open market. 

Shadwell notes that the ability to consult with an Offers-trained agent alongside seeing direct cash offers is especially important for people who want the convenience factor of an off-market sale, but also want more than an investor or iBuyer is willing to pay.

"They may have situations where the foot traffic from showings is going to be too disruptive for their household — or they may just find the process annoying and not want to deal with it," says Shadwell. He explains that often, sellers would prefer to avoid a realtor, but they don't see a better choice.

"Our agents understand that, some people, they don't care that you're the best in the business. They don't care that you have this beautiful marketing plan," says Shadwell. "What they want to know from you is that they're not going to have to worry about anything. You're going to take care of it, and you're going to do it fast."

Just like with your cash offers, there's no obligation to move forward with an agent. It's simply another avenue to explore. 

5. Sell your home

At this point, you'll have all the information you need to either (1) accept a cash offer, (2) work with an Offers-trained agent, OR 3) pursue options outside of Clever.

If you accept a cash offer, the closing date will likely be up to you and you may be able to close in as little as one week. If you put it on the market, your listing agent will negotiate the sale price and closing date on your behalf.

What types of offers can I get?

One of the main benefits of Clever Offers is that it can expose your property to multiple investors employing various offer strategies — some of which can get you a higher price than a traditional cash offer.

Investor Offers

✅ Best for: Quick sales for homes that need work

This option connects you to vetted real estate investors for fast cash offers. Here's how it works:

• Clever will connect you to investors whose 'buy box' matches your property details.
• The investors will schedule a time to view your home. 
• After viewing the property, you'll get an offer from the investor. 
• If you like the offer, you and the investor will agree on a closing date. 
• You'll close and get paid in cash. 

"These offers are exactly what you'd expect" says Shadwell. "These investors are trying to get deals on properties, but they're also looking to move quickly. Normally, it's for people who have distressed properties or people who really need to just get rid of a property super quickly."

However, Shadwell notes that, "One of the biggest misconceptions we get is that people are still expecting pandemic level offers from iBuyers, where they're getting at market or sometimes even above market value...but these investors are covering a lot of risk and that means a lot of margin, so offers may be in the realm of 25–30% below that."

That said, every investor in Clever's network has verified proof of funds and a proven track record of successful transactions. "We're constantly trying to both curate and grow that network and make sure that we're confident in the people that are there," says Shadwell.

You'll also have a dedicated point of contact from Clever's team to help you find the right offer and ensure the buyer follows through on their end of the deal.

Instant Cash Offer

✅ Best for: Convenience of a cash sale for homes in good condition

Clever's Instant Cash Offer is a solution for home sellers who need the assurance that their home will sell quickly, without compromising too much on price. 

One common scenario Shadwell sees this product being a fit for is when a homeowner is planning on selling their home and buying a new one: "Let's say they already have a buyer lined up for their property, so they put in a contract on their dream home. But then the buyer on their property falls through, and now they're not going to be able to be approved for that second home they've fallen in love with. That seller is now in distress, and that's when an Instant Cash Offer is going to be a good option."

With this option, explains Shadwell, "one of our partners will buy your home upfront for a cash price, but then work with your agent to list the property and deliver a second payout — minus a service fee."

The program offers several key benefits, including the certainty of a guaranteed sale when you need to move on a particular timeline, the ability to skip home showings (these will be handled by your agent after you move), and ability to collect a second payout when your home sells again on the open market.

Costs for this program include a service fee of about 7% (paid to the buying partner, not to Clever), plus whatever commission you decide on with your listing agent.

"Sometimes it's worth it, because you're buying back time" says Shadwell. "If you've been on the market for too long, you may just need an out. But we want you to be able to consider those options and weigh the pros and cons."

7 Day Sold

✅ Best for: Getting the highest possible offer

7 Day Sold is for home sellers who want a fast, convenient sale without paying a premium for it. With this option, an Offers-trained real estate agent will handle the entire sale, giving you the broadest possible exposure while still putting terms in place to attract cash offers and sell it quickly.

The key benefit of this option is that it maximizes visibility for your property, upping your chances of receiving more competitive cash offers than you might find from an off-market sale.

"Even in situations where there's a time crunch, or financial distress, or the home needs significant repairs, just getting to the market and soliciting more offers will likely net you more than going with an off-market deal," explains Shadwell.

A recent example is from a customer named Michael, who had inherited his father's home in suburban Indiana. Michael initially wanted to sell to an investor for cash, but the highest offer came in at $86,000, and he knew the home was worth more. Clever then connected him to a local agent who was able to net him $20,000 more — without having to prep it or put it on the market.

"We've trained these agents to be ready when a seller wants to move quickly," says Shadwell. "Let's do it fast. Let's make it easy."

Seller Financing

✅ Best for: Sellers who don't need cash now and would prefer a higher payout over time

"Seller financing is best for folks who own the property outright and would like to cash flow over time," says program manager Drake Shadwell. "It's also perfect for people who want to rent out their property for the cash flow and tax benefits but don't want to become landlords."

With this type of solution, the buyer will make a down payment directly to the home seller and pay off the remaining balance in monthly installments — usually over 3–10 years, as agreed on in the contract. 

The buyer will deliver a final "balloon payment" for the remaining amount owed at the end of the contract term.

Because the seller is free to charge the buyer interest, you can usually make as much as 110–120% of your property value over time. 

Another benefit of seller financing is that home sellers can usually avoid paying capital gains taxes, since the payout happens in increments rather than in one lump sum.

Alternative option: Subject-to agreement / mortgage assumption

✅ Best for: Sellers who are behind on their mortgage payments

With a subject-to agreement (also known as a mortgage assumption or wraparound mortgage), a buyer will take over the existing mortgage from the seller — freeing them from future obligation. 

However, this option is typically a last resort, best suited for homeowners who are upside-down on their mortgages and facing imminent foreclosure, with very limited options due to little or no equity.

In a subject-to agreement, an investor usually makes a down payment of about 10–20% on the property and signs a promissory note that wraps around the existing mortgage. 

Although this arrangement removes immediate financial burdens on the seller, it carries risks, since the original seller’s credit is at stake as their name remains on the mortgage until it is fully paid off.

How much will I get for my house with Clever Offers?

A Clever survey of more than 700 real estate investors found that investors typically aim to offer between 65% and 70% of a home's after-repair value (ARV) — its potential worth after fixing it up — with a median offer of 67.5%. 

For example, if a home has an ARV of $200,000, the median offer would be $135,000.

However, the actual amount of money an investor will pay for your house depends on a variety of factors, including your home's condition and location, as well as the buyer's investment strategy.

When an investor lands a deal, they usually employ several investment strategies:

• Fix and flip the house for resale
• Turn the house into a rental property
• Wholesale the property to another investor
• Set up a rent-to-own agreement with a tenant-buyer

Each of these approaches comes with varying degrees of risk and short- versus long-term costs for the buyer — and, therefore, influences the price they'll pay for your home.

Rental property investors may offer as much as 85% of the market value for your property. At the same time, those who employ rent-to-own agreements can often get you full market value or above for your house — although the payoff will happen in monthly payments made over time, instead of immediately.

iBuyers and other modern cash offer solutions may offer up to full value for your house, minus service fees.

Because Clever Offers connects you with a variety of offer types, you have a much higher chance of getting a better-than-average cash offer for your home.

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