How to get offer accepted

So you want to buy a house…

But so does someone else. How do you make your offer stand out (without offering more money)?

Even in a market that favors buyers, we still see multiple offer situations! And in that case, buyers often feel stuck—they’re offering a fair price, but they want to make their offer more attractive.

That’s where an experienced realtor can help. There is a LOT you can do to make your offer more attractive.

First things first, start with what you control. When you submit an offer, you control:

the amount of money you offer
how much money you put down and into escrow
type/amount of financing (or whether to finance at all)
the length of the inspection period
contingencies (such as appraisal, inspection, financing)
proposed closing date
whether to pay for title (in Palm Beach County, the seller usually pays for title)

While every transaction is different, usually these rules apply:

more money > less money
fewer contingencies > more contingencies
faster close > longer close
pay for title > not pay for title

The easier, the better.

Some of the best things to offer (IMO) are:

a closing date that works for the sellers (shorter or longer, depending on their needs!)
paying for title (in Palm Beach County, sellers usually pay for this)
paying cash (if you can!)
offering a short inspection period
limiting contingencies

So let’s say you and another buyer make offers for an identical amount, but you offer a shorter inspection period, 3+% deposit, and to pay for title.

Which offer do you think the seller likes better?

It’s you, pal.