Selling Your Home
How do offers and negotiations work when selling?
By Steve Lockhart
The short answer
When an offer lands, it arrives with more than a price: the down payment, cash or financing, the closing date, the earnest money, the inspection rights, any request for a seller concession, the deadlines, and the risk the buyer carries.
Full answer
When an offer lands, it arrives with more than a price: the down payment, cash or financing, the closing date, the earnest money, the inspection rights, any request for a seller concession, the deadlines, and the risk the buyer carries. You can accept as written, counter one or several terms, or decline. Most sales take a few rounds before both sides sign. The key insight is that the highest price does not always pay the best: financing strength, appraisal risk, a long close, a big credit request, or weak deadlines each tilt the value of the offer. Most sellers are not deciding today versus tomorrow; they are deciding which set of terms nets the most while closing with the least risk. The professional work is reading each offer through the net sheet, responding while the market still feels current, and keeping the negotiation civil so the deal actually closes. That is what turns negotiation into a decision, not a contest of wills.
Go a little deeper
Frequently asked
Questions sellers often follow up on
How long can I take to respond to an offer?
You choose the deadline and write it into the contract. Most sellers set twenty-four to forty-eight hours. A firm deadline keeps the offer honest, keeps the market from moving under you, and lets you move at the pace of the negotiation.
Should I counter a low offer?
Almost always, unless it is a true insult. A low offer is often a starting point from a buyer expecting a conversation. A calm counter with the data behind it, your true price, your comps, your condition, turns the deal into a respectful exchange. Silence rarely wins.
What makes an offer strong beyond the price?
A healthy down payment, solid financing or cash, a realistic close date, reasonable inspection rights, and an appraisal gap the buyer accepts. Price is easy to compare. The risk of the close is the real difference between two offers side by side.
The Lockhart Method
The Lockhart Method
Your Home | My Strategy | Proven Results
My strategy: negotiate from the sheet, not the opinions. Every offer converts to a net-to-you table before discussion, the terms get ranked, and we respond while the market is warm. You make the calls and the data stays in front of both of us.
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