Creating a Winning Offer on Real Estate For Sale
Creating a Winning Offer on Real Estate For Sale
A winning offer balances price, terms, and certainty. Offer slightly above asking in competitive markets but keep contingencies that protect you. Strengthen your bid with a solid pre-approval letter, a realistic closing timeline, and a fair earnest money amount.
If multiple offers are expected, include personal touches sparingly — a brief buyer letter can help emotionally, but decisions should rest on concrete terms. Consider escalation clauses if you're willing to top competing offers to a capped amount, but use them with caution and attorney or agent advice.
Negotiate beyond price: request seller credits, include desired appliances, or negotiate a flexible possession date. Sometimes the seller values an easy close or delayed move-out more than a small price premium
.