How Agents Can Make Their Buyer’s Offer Stand Out

Real estate agents need more than just negotiation skills—they need a strategy that helps their clients craft real estate offers that truly stand out. If you're brushing up on your expertise through online pre-licensing or continuing education courses, this is a key area where your knowledge can make a real impact. In competitive markets, your guidance can be the deciding factor between an accepted offer and yet another letdown.

These tips for getting an offer accepted without overpaying will give you actionable ways to help your clients succeed and earn you repeat business and referrals. 

Best Ways to Make a Buyer’s Offer Stand Out

In a multiple-offer situation, the best offer isn’t always the highest—it’s often the cleanest, most flexible, and most aligned with the seller’s goals. As a real estate agent, you can help your buyers build stronger offers by focusing on strategy over emotion.

If you’re wondering how to get your buyer’s offer accepted in a competitive market, here are 5 key areas where your expertise can elevate your client’s chances in a competitive housing market: 

1. Understand the Seller’s Priorities 

Start by understanding the seller’s goals. Research on the listing agent’s end can go a long way. What does the seller care about most: speed, convenience, certainty, or emotional connection? 

Here’s how to get ahead:

• Timeline flexibility: Can your buyer close quickly or offer a leaseback to the seller?

• Certainty: A cash offer or minimal contingencies might give your client an edge, even if the price isn’t the highest.

• Emotional connection: If the seller has lived in the home for decades, they may be swayed by a buyer who expresses genuine appreciation for the property.
  

2. Strengthen the Financial Side of the Offer

The financial strength of your client’s offer builds trust and minimizes perceived risk for the seller. It’s about how solid the buyer’s position looks on paper. A strong financial package may help your client win even when competing against higher offers with unstable funding.

Here’s how to strengthen the financial presentation:

• Pre-approval over pre-qualification: Pre-approval from a reputable lender shows that your client’s finances have already been verified, making the offer far more credible.

• Covering closing costs: If your client has room in their budget, this can sweeten the deal for sellers looking to net more from the sale.

• Reducing or waiving contingencies: Shortening contingency timelines (especially for inspections or appraisals) can help without putting your buyer at undue risk. 

• Earnest money deposit: A large earnest money deposit signals seriousness and reassures sellers that your buyer won’t withdraw. 
  

3. Create a Competitive Offer Without Overpaying

The pressure to waive every contingency or escalate above asking can be intense. But your job is to help clients compete wisely, not recklessly. 

These tools create a strong and flexible offer without pushing your client past their financial comfort zone: 

• Shorten inspection windows instead of waiving them: This protects your buyer but reassures the seller that delays are unlikely. 

• Use appraisal gap coverage: Your client can agree to cover a specific amount if the home appraises for less than the offer without committing to an unlimited shortfall. 

• Escalation clauses: These allow your client to beat competing offers incrementally, with a defined cap. It’s a controlled way to compete without emotionally bidding up the price.
  

4. Personalize the Offer to Build an Emotional Connection

Some buyers want to write a letter to the seller, and it can work, depending on the situation. However, it’s not always advisable due to potential fair housing issues. That’s where your role as an advisor becomes critical. 

When a personal letter might help:

• The seller has strong emotional ties to the property.

• Your buyer can express genuine admiration for the home without including personal details that might violate fair housing guidelines.
  

Tips if your client writes a letter:

• Focus on the home, not the buyer.

• Compliment how well it’s maintained or highlight special features they noticed.

• Keep it short and sincere.
  

5. Set Expectations Early and Often

One of the most valuable things you can do as an agent is help your buyer understand the reality of a competitive housing market before emotions take over. This keeps the process smoother and protects your relationship with the client.

Ways to do this: 

• Educate on current market trends: Let buyers know what’s typical in your area—how many offers listings are getting and how quickly homes are selling.

• Prepare them for tough decisions: Whether waiving certain contingencies or offering over asking, discuss potential strategies before they fall in love with a home.

• Discuss deal-breakers up front: Knowing what your client will and won’t compromise on allows you to act fast when the right property appears.
  

More Strategies to Win a Bidding War as a Real Estate Agent 

When your clients are up against multiple offers, your ability to act quickly and strategically becomes the deciding factor. Don’t wait for a counteroffer—make your first offer the strongest. 

Remember, even if your buyer loses out, you can position the experience as a valuable learning opportunity and refine your strategy for next time. 

Here’s how real estate agents can help buyers compete in a hot market: 

• Submit quickly: Being first shows seriousness and prevents delays.

• Escalation clause: If appropriate, use this to edge out competing offers while still capping the buyer’s budget.

• Tighten timelines: Faster closing or quicker contingencies can help your offer stand out. 

• Maintain strong communication: Build rapport with the listing agent. Your professionalism could tip the scale in your favor. 
  

Know When to Walk Away 

Lastly, as an agent, one of your greatest responsibilities is knowing when the deal isn’t right—and having the confidence to say so. Walking away can be tough for buyers emotionally, but it often protects them financially and mentally.

When to guide them away from a deal:

1. The price has exceeded the home’s actual market value. 

2. The seller is demanding excessive concessions or risky waivers. 

3. Inspection reveals costly repairs that aren’t being negotiated. 

4. Your buyer is starting to feel defeated or overly emotional.
   

Saying no at the right time builds long-term trust and shows you’re protecting their best interests instead of just chasing a commission. 

Examples of what you can say: 

• "You’re not here to win at any cost. We’re here to find the right home for the right price." 

• "This one isn’t the right fit, but the right one is out there." 

• "I’ll keep helping you position strong offers, and we’ll be ready when the right opportunity comes."

Help Your Clients and Your Career With Van Ed 

The best agents aren’t just good negotiators. They’re problem-solvers, market experts, and trusted advocates. Helping buyers craft stronger offers in a competitive market is a skill that sets you apart and keeps refining through education. 

If you’re just getting licensed or staying up to date with your continuing education requirements, VanEd offers flexible, online courses to help you succeed. Get pre-licensed with VanEd or explore our Continuing Education (CE) options now!