Question 1

What is free offer submission, and how does it work in California?

Accepted Answer

Free offer submission means you can prepare and submit a purchase offer on any CRMLS-listed home in California without paying anything upfront. You enter the property address, fill in your price and terms through our guided offer wizard, upload your proof of funds and pre-approval letter, and a licensed California agent at Hippo Realty reviews your offer and delivers it to the listing agent on the official C.A.R. (California Association of Realtors) forms. You only ever pay a commission if your purchase actually closes — and even then it is just 1%, requested from the seller's side whenever possible.

Question 2

Is it really free to submit an offer? What's the catch?

Accepted Answer

Yes — submitting offers is completely free, with no per-offer fees, no subscription, and no obligation. There is no catch: our business model is simple. If one of your offers is accepted and the purchase closes, Hippo Realty receives a 1% buyer-agent commission, which in most transactions is paid out of the seller's proceeds rather than your pocket. If none of your offers are accepted, you pay nothing at all.

Question 3

How does the 1% buyer agent commission compare to the typical California commission?

Accepted Answer

In California, buyer-agent commissions have traditionally run around 2% to 2.5% of the purchase price. On a typical $1,200,000 Southern California home, a 2.5% commission is $30,000, while Hippo Realty's 1% is $12,000 — a difference of $18,000. Since the 2024 NAR settlement, buyer commissions are fully negotiable and are written into your buyer representation agreement, so that saving is contractually yours. The difference is often credited toward your closing costs or used as negotiating room on price.

Question 4

Which homes can I make an offer on?

Accepted Answer

You can make an offer on any home listed on CRMLS (California Regional MLS), the largest MLS in the United States covering Southern California — including Irvine, Newport Beach, Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego areas. Simply enter the property address or MLS number on our homepage. If a listing can't be found automatically, you can enter the property details manually and we take it from there.

Question 5

What are the steps from address to submitted offer?

Accepted Answer

Five guided steps: (1) Buyer information — your legal name, phone, and how you'll hold title; (2) Price and financing — offer price, earnest money deposit, financing type, and down payment; (3) Contingencies and dates — loan, appraisal, and inspection contingency periods plus your target closing date; (4) Documents — upload proof of funds and, for financed offers, a pre-approval letter (saved to your profile for reuse); (5) Review and submit. Before your first offer you'll e-sign the BRBC (Buyer Representation and Broker Compensation agreement) once, and then a licensed agent reviews everything before it goes out.

Question 6

Does a licensed agent actually review my offer?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every single offer is reviewed by a licensed California real estate agent before it is sent to the listing side. The agent checks your terms for completeness and competitiveness, prepares the offer on official C.A.R. standard forms, and delivers it professionally to the listing agent. You can track the status of every offer in real time — Pending Review, Sent for Signature, Submitted, Accepted, or Rejected — and you'll receive an email whenever the status changes.

Question 7

What is the BRBC and why do I need to sign it?

Accepted Answer

The BRBC (Buyer Representation and Broker Compensation agreement) is California's standard buyer representation form, required by law since 2024 before an agent can represent you. It spells out exactly what Hippo Realty's compensation is — 1% of the purchase price — so there are never surprises. You sign it electronically once, right before your first offer, and it covers your subsequent offers as well.

Question 8

What documents do I need to submit an offer?

Accepted Answer

Two documents: a proof of funds (a recent bank or brokerage statement showing you have the down payment and closing costs) and, if you're financing, a lender pre-approval letter. Cash buyers only need proof of funds. Both are stored securely in your buyer profile, so future offers are prefilled automatically — you can even keep multiple versions of pre-approval letters for different loan amounts and choose which one to attach to each offer.

Question 9

How fast can my offer be submitted?

Accepted Answer

The online wizard takes most buyers about 10–15 minutes to complete. Once submitted, your offer enters review immediately, and in most cases it is prepared on C.A.R. forms, sent to you for signature, and delivered to the listing agent the same day. In a competitive Southern California market, that speed matters — you can find a home at an open house in the afternoon and have your offer in the listing agent's inbox that night.

Question 10

Who pays the 1% commission — me or the seller?

Accepted Answer

In most California transactions, we request that the seller's side pay the 1% buyer-agent commission as part of the offer terms, which means it comes out of the seller's proceeds at closing, not your pocket. If a particular seller refuses to pay any buyer-side compensation, you would be responsible for the 1% per the BRBC — but we flag this clearly before you submit, and 1% is still far below the traditional 2–2.5%.

Question 11

Can I submit offers on multiple homes at the same time?

Accepted Answer

You can prepare and submit offers on as many properties as you like, free of charge — many buyers in competitive markets write several offers before one is accepted. Your documents and buyer information are saved after the first offer, so each additional offer takes just a few minutes. We do recommend discussing strategy with our agent if you plan to have multiple offers active simultaneously.

Question 12

Besides commission, what other costs should I budget for when buying in California?

Accepted Answer

Typical buyer closing costs in California run about 1–3% of the purchase price and include escrow fees, title insurance, lender fees, appraisal, inspections, and prorated property taxes. Your earnest money deposit (commonly 1–3% of the price) is paid into escrow after acceptance and counts toward your down payment. Because our commission is only 1%, many buyers apply the savings directly against these closing costs.

Question 13

Is Hippo Realty a licensed California brokerage?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hippo Realty (河马地产) is a licensed California real estate brokerage based in Irvine, Orange County (530 Technology Drive, Suite 100, #263, Irvine, CA 92618). All offers are prepared and delivered by licensed California agents on official C.A.R. standard forms, and we serve buyers across Southern California with bilingual (English and Chinese) support.

Question 14

What happens after my offer is accepted?

Accepted Answer

Once your offer is accepted, escrow opens and our agent guides you through the full transaction: depositing earnest money, scheduling inspections, reviewing disclosures, working with your lender through appraisal and loan approval, removing contingencies, and finally closing. The same 1% commission covers this entire journey from acceptance to keys in hand — full service, not just offer writing.

Question 15

Do you support Chinese-speaking home buyers?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. The entire platform is bilingual (English / 中文), our agents speak Mandarin, and we have deep experience helping Chinese and Chinese-American buyers navigate California purchases — including foreign-national loans, proof-of-funds requirements for overseas assets, and WeChat-based consultation. Scan the WeChat QR code in the footer to reach us directly.

Question 16

What if my offer is rejected? Do I owe anything?

Accepted Answer

You owe nothing. Rejected offers cost you $0 — no fees, no penalties, no obligations. You'll get an email notification with the outcome, and you can immediately start a new offer on the same property with adjusted terms or move on to another home. Your saved documents make every subsequent offer faster.

How it works & FAQ

How it works

Find your home

Build your offer in ~15 minutes

Licensed agent review

Same-day delivery

1% full service to closing

Frequently asked questions

The Basics

The Offer Process

Costs & Savings

Trust & Support

Still have questions?