Writing an Offer Letter

Real Estate Offer Letters

An offer letter is a legal document used by a buyer who wants to place a bid on a house that is for sale. You want the seller to feel positive about you after reading your letter. To make your offer letter the best it can be, follow these seven tips.

1. Make a connection

You want to make the seller identify with you and your family, so search for something you and the seller have in common. This can be anything from you sharing the same line of work to noticing something similar in their house to yours. During the home viewing, pay close attention to the details so you can make the connection later.

2. Short and sweet

No one is going to want to read pages and pages of story. Keep it short and sweet, focusing on two or three reasons why you are the best buyer for the home. Try and keep the letter down to a single page.

3. Keep it positive

Keep the information you put into your letter positive. Don’t focus on the other homes you’ve lost out on. In the worst-case scenario, this can make the seller wonder why you have been having trouble buying a home and make them pass on you.

4. Emotion

Don’t be afraid to show an emotional attachment to the home. In your offer letter, talk about how you can see your kids playing in the backyard or see your family cooking Sunday dinner together.

5. Don’t talk about remodeling

Odds are the sellers still have an emotional attachment to at least some part of their home. Remodeling plans will ultimately change something that a seller might love dearly. Keep your plans to yourself.

6. Wrap it up

Finish your offer letter with a short paragraph that reinforces what you talked about in your previous paragraphs. Show appreciation for the seller’s time and the opportunity to write a letter.

7. Proofread

Always assume that your seller is a stickler for grammar. Pay attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Additionally, look for things that a spell check might not detect, such as different variations of there, your, and its. After looking it over once, have a friend or family member to review it for you. A fresh eye might catch something that you might have looked over.