When you do get an offer, you’ve got three options, really. First, you can accept it and it’s a deal. Second, you can reject it and risk the chance the whole thing is over.

Thirdly, you can negotiate. Just work through the selling indicators outlined in the previous video and then decide what to do. Decide from your point of view, especially if you are in a seller’s market. Listen to the agent as part of the feedback, and then figure it out for yourself. You’ll feel much better about it if you do.

If you are unsure, you can work through the scenarios in your mind by playing a ‘what if?’ game.

First, ask yourself, “What if we take this tonight?” “How will we feel in the morning?” “What can we then proceed with?” “How do our plans look?”

Second, ask yourself, “What if we don’t take this and we lose the buyer?” “How will we feel tomorrow?” “How does it affect our plans and our original objective?” “How does it sit with that?”

Third, ask yourself, “What if we renegotiate?” Go back to the buyer with another offer and we lose them. “How will we feel about that?”

Don’t take a predetermined position. I can’t tell you to take an offer or not.

What I can share with you is my experience of people taking positions. They dig their heels in because they think someone should come up to a higher figure. Do not put your life on hold over a couple thousand dollars. Stay objective here, work through the information and the answer should be there for you. Sometimes sellers get anti the buyer just because they’re not responding how they want them to.

If it’s not coming together and you’re up for it, and your agent is up for it, ask to meet the buyer. Go face to face with them over the last few thousand. When you and they, see that you’re just two very normal people trying to do the right thing, things come together very quickly, in my experience. Just ask them to explain their offer and where they sit right now and you’ll be amazed at what happens next.

If you get an early offer, whether you should take it depends on a lot things. Don’t just dismiss it because it’s only four days into the marketing. Look back at the selling indicators I outlined in the previous video (What to consider when assessing an offer) and work through the information.

Make an informed decision. If it’s a buyer’s market and you turn down an offer that came quickly, it might be a long time before you see another one. In the next video, I look at some of the variables you can look for in a negotiation.