The UK cash house buying sector has matured considerably since the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) was established in 2014. What was once a largely unregulated industry now operates under a Property Ombudsman Code of Practice that NAPB members are required to follow, which gives sellers a meaningful redress route if something goes wrong. The companies below have been selected on the basis of verified NAPB membership, length of time in the sector, and the substantive information each company publishes about its own model.
What follows is an objective summary rather than a ranked recommendation. Different sellers have different priorities, and the best company for a probate sale in South Wales may not be the best for a chain-break sale in West London.
At A Glance: The Five Companies Reviewed
| # | Company | NAPB Member Since | Head Office | Geographic Focus |
| 1 | Property Buyers Today | January 2020 | London (Oxford Street) | UK-wide |
| 2 | House Buy Fast | December 2013 | Worthing, West Sussex | UK-wide |
| 3 | Mark King Properties | October 2024 | Cardiff | South Wales |
| 4 | My Homebuyers | July 2016 | Chester | UK-wide |
| 5 | Francis Group | July 2020 | Northampton | Northamptonshire and surrounding counties |
All companies listed are current members of the NAPB and registered with The Property Ombudsman. Fee arrangements, offer percentages, and completion timeframes vary; sellers should confirm specifics directly with each company.
1. Property Buyers Today
Property Buyers Today is one of the more recent NAPB members on this list (joining in January 2020 as member 92), but its leadership team brings substantial sector experience. The company is led by Saif Derzi, who has been active in property investment and trading for over a decade and was named Property Trader of the Year at the 2022 Property Investors Awards. According to the company’s own materials, Property Buyers Today has handled over 500 property purchases to date.
The company operates from offices on Oxford Street in central London and is registered as a UK limited company. Its model is the standard direct-buyer approach used by reputable NAPB members: own funds rather than third-party investors, completion in as little as seven days where the seller needs it, and full coverage of legal fees as part of the service.
What differentiates Property Buyers Today within the comparison is its public commitment to transparency about the trade-off in a cash sale. The company publishes a side-by-side comparison on its own site showing the typical result of an estate agent sale (six to nine months, full asking price minus agent fees, solicitor fees, mortgage costs during marketing, council tax during marketing, and any required repairs) against a direct cash purchase, and notes that the two figures often end up at a similar net position. That level of upfront framing is unusual in the sector and tends to correlate with how the company conducts itself through the transaction.
Visit Property Buyers Today.
2. House Buy Fast
House Buy Fast is one of the founding members of the NAPB, having joined the association in December 2013 (member number 01). The company is based in Worthing, West Sussex, and operates UK-wide. According to its own published materials it has received the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award for 2025.
The company describes its offer as a no-obligation same-day cash offer, with the same direct-buyer model used by other reputable NAPB members. House Buy Fast’s longevity within the sector and its founding involvement in the NAPB are useful indicators of how it operates, though as with any cash buyer, the specifics of any individual offer should be confirmed in writing and reviewed by an independent solicitor before commitments are made.
Visit House Buy Fast.
3. Mark King Properties
Mark King Properties is the most regionally focused company on this list, operating in South Wales. The company joined the NAPB in October 2024 (member number 91), though its founder Mark King has, according to the company’s own materials, been buying properties in the region for over 28 years.
The model is described as a personal, single-operator approach: sellers deal directly with Mark King himself rather than a call centre or account manager, offers are made on a cash basis with all conveyancing fees covered, and completion is offered in as little as seven to ten days. For sellers in South Wales specifically, a regional buyer with deep local market knowledge can sometimes produce a more accurate offer than a national operator pricing from a distance. The trade-off is geographic limitation; the company doesn’t operate outside its core region.
Visit Mark King Properties.
4. My Homebuyers
My Homebuyers is based in Chester and has been an NAPB member since July 2016 (member number 66). The company offers a guaranteed cash sale model, with offers made on a no-obligation basis after a short initial enquiry process.
The company’s public positioning emphasises simplicity and certainty, with the standard NAPB-compliant direct-buyer model: own funds, no chain, no estate agent fees, and a stress-free process. As with the other established members, the company’s consistent NAPB membership over nearly a decade is a useful proxy indicator of operational reliability. Sellers should still confirm proof of funds and the specifics of the written offer before proceeding.
Visit My Homebuyers.
5. Francis Group
Francis Group is based in Northampton and has been an NAPB member since July 2020 (member number 67). The company has according to its own materials been buying properties in Northamptonshire and the surrounding counties for over 14 years.
Francis Group’s published positioning emphasises both speed (its stated record is a three-day completion, from offer on Friday to funds received on Tuesday) and the use of its own funds rather than third-party financing. The company buys properties in any condition and covers all legal costs as part of the service. As with Mark King Properties, the regional focus is both an advantage (local market knowledge) and a limitation (sellers outside the catchment area will need to look elsewhere). Within the East Midlands and surrounding counties, the company has built a substantive operating record.
Visit Francis Group.
How These Companies Were Selected
The five companies above were drawn from the published NAPB members list, which is the most reliable single source of verified UK cash buyers. NAPB membership requires companies to register with The Property Ombudsman, agree to follow the TPO Code of Practice for Residential Property Buying Companies, demonstrate they buy directly using their own funds (not as an intermediary), and provide proof of professional insurance cover.
The selection deliberately spans different company profiles: national operators (Property Buyers Today, House Buy Fast, My Homebuyers), specialist regional operators (Mark King Properties, Francis Group), and a range of NAPB join dates from 2013 to 2024. This is intended to give sellers a sense of the available options rather than to rank companies against each other on a single metric.
What To Verify Before Committing To Any Cash Buyer
Even within the NAPB-member pool, individual due diligence still matters. A short checklist:
- Proof of funds. The company should be able to demonstrate that it has the funds to complete the purchase directly, not that it will source them from a third-party investor after agreeing the offer with you. Ask for evidence in writing.
- The offer in writing. The verbal or initial offer matters less than the offer that ends up on paper. Confirm the figure, the conditions attached, and what happens at survey stage before signing.
- Independent legal representation. Most reputable cash buyers cover the seller’s legal fees, but the seller should still use an independent solicitor of their own choosing rather than one nominated by the buyer. The NAPB Code of Practice supports this position.
- Reviews on multiple platforms. Trustpilot, Google Reviews, and the company’s own NAPB listing each provide a different angle on operational reliability. Cross-referencing across platforms tends to give a more accurate picture than relying on any single source.
- Withdrawal rights. Both parties should be able to withdraw before contracts are exchanged. A company applying pressure to sign before the seller has had time to seek independent advice is a meaningful warning sign.
The Bottom Line
The UK cash house buying sector now has enough infrastructure, in the form of the NAPB and the TPO Code of Practice, that sellers can identify reputable operators reasonably efficiently. The five companies above are all verified NAPB members with substantial operating records, but membership alone is not the same as the right fit for a particular sale.
Sellers in a position where a cash sale makes sense (chain collapse, divorce, repossession deadline, inherited property, structural or other “problem property” issues) are usually best served by getting offers from two or three companies, comparing the written terms carefully, and verifying funds and reviews before proceeding. The trade-off is always speed and certainty against a discount to open-market value; whether that maths makes sense depends entirely on the individual circumstances.
FAQs
How do I know a cash buying company actually has the funds?
Ask for proof of funds in writing at the offer stage. A legitimate direct buyer can produce bank statements or a solicitor’s undertaking confirming the money is immediately available. Companies that defer or refuse this request are usually not direct buyers.
Is a regional cash buyer better than a national one?
It depends on the property. Regional buyers often have deeper local market knowledge and can sometimes offer more accurate valuations on properties in their core area. National buyers offer broader geographic coverage and tend to have more standardised processes. Neither model is universally better.
What’s the typical timeframe from first contact to completion?
For a straightforward property with a true cash buyer, two to four weeks is realistic, sometimes faster. Add time for complications like leasehold, probate, or structural issues. The seven-day completions some companies advertise are achievable but require unusual readiness on all sides.
Will the cash buyer want to view the property?
In most cases yes, either in person or via a virtual viewing, before confirming the offer. A company that makes an unconditional written offer without ever seeing the property should be approached with caution.
Are cash buying companies regulated?
The sector itself isn’t FCA-regulated, but NAPB members agree to follow The Property Ombudsman’s Code of Practice for Residential Property Buying Companies and are subject to its redress scheme. This is the closest thing to industry regulation currently in place.
What’s the difference between a cash buyer and an estate agent?
An estate agent markets the property to find a buyer, charges a commission on the sale, and the timeline depends on finding a willing purchaser. A cash buyer is the purchaser, buys directly using their own funds, typically charges no fees, and the timeline depends only on the conveyancing process.
Can I refuse the offer after the survey?
Yes. Until contracts are exchanged, either party can walk away with no legal liability. This applies regardless of how far down the process you’ve progressed.
