Tips for Sacramento Buyers Involved in a Multiple-Counter Offer

There is no need to fear a multiple counter offer as a buyer.

You can’t be working in Sacramento real estate today and be unfamiliar with multiple offers; yet many people, especially buyers, are unfamiliar with how a multiple counter offer works. As a top listing agent in Sacramento, I often suggest a multiple counter offer situation to my sellers, if the situation warrants it. Not every purchase offer does, though.

For example, sellers could receive 3 purchase offers and only one offer might meet every need. There might not be a way to improve the other two offers to meet the sellers’ needs. Not to mention, that one offer might be perfect. It might be at the top of market and to go further with the sales price would mean it would not appraise. If the buyer’s offer is perfect, take it, is my motto. Don’t mess around.

However, if there is a way to improve the quality of more than one offer by issuing a multiple counter offer, then that is absolutely the best way for the seller to maximize potential. Sometimes, it might be only the one offer the seller wants to focus on, and the second offer might not have any bearing on reality whatsoever. Say, for instance, the seller receives a lowball offer, and the buyer’s agent has made it very clear the buyer will not budge. Then, at the same time, the seller has received a list price offer. A seller might issue a multiple counter offer, one offer to each, and not care if the first buyer accepts the counter offer. Because the seller’s sole intent might be to drive up the price or change the terms of the second offer.

The thing is, whichever way a multiple counter offer moves, the buyer does not know the terms of the other counter offer. That other buyer could be viable or not viable. Further, if all parties accept the multiple counter offer issued by the sellers, they are still not in contract. It’s not a done deal. The seller retains the option, in a multiple counter offer situation, to choose the buyer. The seller also retains the option to counter a second time, although that would be rare and is often unnecessary.

If you are a buyer involved in a multiple-counter offer, the best things you can do are: do not try to figure out the seller’s motives or the intentions of the other buyers. Focus solely on your own purchase contract and what you want to offer. Perhaps you want to counter and increase the seller’s offer? That is permissible as well. Just put your best foot forward. Do the best that you can — and you can never regret that — regardless of how the circumstances play out.