Equity Cash Offer: Reviews & How It Works

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By Katy Byrom Updated April 11, 2024

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Competitors | Alternatives | Customer reviews | How it works | Who should use it? | FAQs

Equity Cash Offer (ECO) is a Texas-based real estate company specializing in wholesale deals (transactions that can include "flipping" properties).

In real estate, a wholesaler is basically a middleman between a seller and potential buyers. They and the seller sign a contract that allows the wholesaler to seek buyers. This type of transaction works best for sellers with distressed properties.

Like other cash buyer companies, ECO will make cash offers on as-is homes. The process is quick — faster than selling on the open market — and requires much less pre-sale work for the homeowner.

However, this speed and ease of sale come with a tradeoff: a smaller offer on your home than what you'd get on the market with an agent. We recommend only selling to ECO if you're OK with selling below the fair market value of your home.

While Equity Cash Offer has positive customer reviews, there are few of them to off of, and they did not respond when we asked questions about their process or what kinds of homes they prefer to buy. 

Before you accept an offer from Equity Cash Offer, we highly recommend comparing it to offers from a few other well-rated cash buyers. You should also have a good idea of what your home could sell for 'as is' through a traditional listing.

Compare offers from leading investors and iBuyers — plus get an expert realtor's opinion on what your house is worth. Clever Offers is free to home sellers, with no added fees or pressure to commit. Get Cash Offers.

Donovan Ruffin, CEO

ECO's founder and CEO, Donovan Ruffin, is an entrepreneur who is known for his appearance on Lifetime's series Marrying Millions along with his wife Dani. In addition to ECO, Ruffin also heads Ruffin Real Estate Investment, LLC, and Cold Dial, a customer outreach service.

Why you should trust us

To give you a fair and detailed review, our research team spent weeks reviewing publicly available information on Equity Cash Offer and its competitors. Our process included:

  • Collecting and reviewing customer reviews
  • Analyzing company policies
  • Comparing their practices to competitors

We also reached out to Equity Cash Offer several times for additional information on their practices. They declined to answer our questions.

Who should use Equity Cash Offer?

Equity Cash Offer is a cash buyer, making it ideal for homeowners looking to sell quickly and with as little hassle as possible.

Sellers looking for speed

Traditionally, selling a property can take weeks; on average, it takes 86 days to sell a home in the U.S. right now.

Equity Cash Offer did not respond to our review questions, but through customer reviews and their website we know that working with them can be faster than selling on the open market. ECO will make an initial offer within 24 hours; one customer noted in a review that they closed within nine days.

Sellers who want to avoid making repairs and paying fees

The conventional sale process requires a good deal of prep, including repairs, which can significantly stretch your timeline and cost you thousands of dollars. Pre-sale repairs cost $7,495 on average in the U.S.

Like other cash buyers, Equality Cash Offer will buy your home as-is. You don't have to invest further in your home and you'll also avoid listing fees or realtor commission costs.

Alternatives to Equity Cash Offer

While working with Equity Cash Offer can speed up and simplify the sale, you're better off selling to an iBuyer or on the open market if you want to get a higher price for your home.

Selling to an iBuyer

iBuyers are a lot like cash buyers: They make cash offers on as-is homes. However, they differ from cash buyers in some important ways;

  • iBuyers are more selective in the homes they buy, focusing on properties with little or no repairs to make.
  • Since they're more selective in which homes they buy, iBuyers will usually make higher offers than traditional cash buyers.
  • iBuyers buy homes across several states, yet operate predominantly in major metropolitan areas.

Many of the biggest iBuyers will consider homes in Texas, including Offerpad, Opendoor, and RedfinNow. In other words, you have your pick of potential buyers if you're selling a home in the Lone Star State. Use this to your advantage by comparing bids from multiple companies.

Plus, some iBuyers include perks when they buy your home. For example, Offerpad throws in free local moving services as long as your new home is within 50 miles of the property they bought.

Selling on the market with an agent

The best way to maximize the price of your home is by selling with an agent the traditional way — preferably from a brokerage that offers lower commission rates. But take note that this will take weeks longer than selling to Equity Cash Offer or an iBuyer — and it will cost you some money upfront.

Selling your home on the market is a multistep process. You'll need to figure out how much your home is worth, what projects you should do before listing it, how much repairs will cost, and how to negotiate the purchase with a buyer.

» MORE: Everything You Need to Know About How to Sell Your House

Luckily, a real estate agent will advise you through every step to make sure your home sells for its highest possible price. That includes using local market data to set a competitive price for your home — something they can do for free before you sign a listing agreement.

To get all of the perks of working with an agent while still saving money, use Clever Offers. We'll match you with an agent who will help you compare cash offers from other companies and provide a free home valuation.

Compare cash offers now!

Compare offers from top companies like Opendoor to the sale price you'd get with an agent.

Get Cash Offers

Equity Cash Offer vs. the competition

If you're considering selling to a cash buyer in Texas, Equity Cash Offer is a viable option thanks mostly to its positive customer reviews. However, the Clever Real Estate team can't outright recommend ECO until we learn more about their practices.

If you're considering selling to ECO, shop for offers from other cash buyers. Since many cash buyers make initial offers within 24 hours, this should be a quick and easy comparison to make!

House Cashin: Best customer reviews

HouseCashin

Website

Phone Number

(877) 355-1244

Time to Offer

24 hours

Time to Sale

3 - 30 days
Why we chose it
Details
Locations
Reviews

HouseCashin combines the knowledge of local investors with the strength of a national brand. The company can close as soon as a few days.

HouseCashin is a national service that has partnered with local investors across the country to buy houses for cash.

Steps to sell with HouseCashin:

  1. Call and speak with representative of HouseCashin, or submit a form on its website, and provide details about your home
  2. Schedule a visit with a HouseCashin representative to view your home. If the representative wishes to buy your home, you will be presented with a cash offer
  3. Set a closing date and fill out the proper paperwork. When the sale is done, receive the cash for your home

House Cashin received an average of 4.4 stars from 25 customer reviews.

Google: 4.7 stars/14 reviews
Facebook: 5 stars/8 reviews
Yelp: 3.5 stars/3 reviews

House Cashin is a national cash buyer that partners with local investors, including ones in Texas. The company has great reviews on Google and Trustpilot, and they'll take 3–30 days to close.

Texan Home Buyer: Fastest sale

Texan Home Buyers

Website

Phone Number

(713) 321-2888

Time to Offer

24 hours

Time to Sale

7 days
Why we chose it
Details
Locations
Reviews

As a local buyer, Texan Home Buyers has its pulse on the market in the cities it operates in. The company can close on your home in just a week.

Texan Home Buyers is a local, Texas property investor that buys homes for cash in select cities across the state. To sell your home to Texas Home Buyer you can:

  • Submit information about your property online or by phone and set up an appointment for an investor to see your home
  • Show your home to the investor and receive a no-obligation offer
  • Set a closing date on your own schedule as soon as 7 days after accepting the offer

Texas Home Buyer purchases homes throughout the state of Texas.

Texan Home Buyers received an average of 2.6 stars from 6 customer reviews.

Google: 1 star/1 review
Facebook: 4.2 stars/5 reviews

Like Equity Cash Offer, Texan Home Buyer is a cash buyer focusing on the Lone Star state's major cities. They're a great choice if you're prioritizing speed: You can close in as little as seven days.

We Buy Ugly Houses: Nationally recognized

We Buy Ugly Houses

Full review

Time to offer

Varies

Minimum closing time

3 weeks

Closing costs

No cost for seller
✍️ Editor's take
Pros and cons
Locations
Reviews
Contact

We Buy Ugly Houses has a better reputation than most individual cash buyers, but your experience can vary based on the quality of the local franchise. While We Buy Ugly Houses can close in as little as three weeks, it pays far less than fair market value.

Pros

  • Trusted, nationally recognized brand
  • No need to worry about repairs
  • Close in just three weeks

Cons

  • Quality of service may vary between franchises
  • Pays far less than fair market value

We Buy Ugly Houses has over 800 independently owned and operated franchises across 47 states and Washington, DC.

As of October 2022, We Buy Ugly Houses's parent company, Homevestors, has an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau. No other third-party reviews are available at this time.

This rating is based on overall national data. Research local franchises for specific reviews that reflect their quality of service.

We Buy Ugly Houses is probably the best recognized cash buyer in the U.S. Although you'll take longer to close — a minimum of three weeks — you can expect great customer service, thanks to glowing reviews.

How Equity Cash Offer works

According to Equity Cash Offer's website, the sale process is fairly straightforward:

  1. Over the phone, you provide basic information on your home — its location, if it needs repairs, etc. You'll also be asked to send pictures.
  2. Equity Cash Offer will make an initial offer based on this information, which you can negotiate. If you decline their offer, you aren't charged a fee.
  3. After accepting the offer, you pick a closing date. An ECO rep will conduct a quick home walk-through; they might make changes to their offer after this visit.

As the seller, you aren't responsible for any repairs or staging before closing. You simply hand over the keys and get paid.

🚩 Equity Cash Offer did not respond to Clever's requests for additional context. All of the information in this section and on this page were taken from ECO's website and customer reviews.

Customer reviews for Equity Cash Offer

Equity Cash Offer has positive customer reviews, with an average review score of 4.7 from 52 online reviews.

Average rating Total reviews
Google 4.6 45
BBB* 5 7
Weighted Average 4.7 52
*Includes reviews for Ruffin Real Estate Investments, a sister company
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Good customer service

The majority of reviews center on Equity Cash Offer's customer service. Many sellers described ECO staff as "kind," "professional," and "patient."

A customer who has sold multiple properties to ECO said an agent "made everything easy and understandable," and that they "went out of their way to accommodate (the seller's) needs and schedule."

Easy process

Others complimented Equity Cash Offer's process, calling it "super easy" and "quick."

One customer said it was "a walk in the park," while another shared that they closed on the sale within nine days.

Negative reviews

Some customers did leave negative reviews for ECO. Most notably, one customer referred to ECO's staff as "inconsistent" and "disorganized." However, these negative reviews are at least two years old, whereas most positive reviews were posted more recently.

Equity Cash Offer did not get back to us about how they interact with customers or about these reviews.

Where is Equity Cash Offer available?

Equity Cash Offer did not share where they buy and sell properties with Clever. But based on customer reviews and their business address, ECO appears to focus predominantly on homes in Texas.

FAQs about Equity Cash Offer

What is Equity Cash Offer, LLC?

Equity Cash Offer is a real estate company based in Texas. They make cash offers on as-is homes, making them ideal for owners who need to sell quickly or would like to avoid most of the steps involved in a traditional sale.

How do I sell my home to Equity Cash Offer?

The process begins with a phone call — you share basic and detailed information about your home with an agent to help them calculate an initial offer. If you accept the offer, an agent will visit your home for a quick walk-through, after which they may make adjustments to the offer. From here, you hand over the keys, sign over the property, and accept their payment.

Contact Equity Cash Offer

Website equitycashoffer.com
Phone (469) 615-2416
Address 7950 Legacy Dr., Plano, TX 75024
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