The fact is, once you share any secret with another person, it may no longer be a secret. It isn’t that the agent would intentionally reveal what you’ve told them, but an agent can’t reveal what they don’t know.
Why You Should Not Tell Your Agent Your Top Price
Right after writing an offer, it’s common for first-time homebuyers to play through scenarios in their heads. They can drive themselves crazy with this process, but can’t seem to help it. Here are some of their thoughts:
What will we do if the seller outright rejects our offer?Should we tell the seller we will consider a counteroffer?If the seller accepts our offer, maybe we offered too much.Maybe the seller will be insulted because we offered too little.If the seller counters at full price, should we accept that price or should we make a counteroffer?If the seller writes a counter for $10,000 more than our offer, should we split the difference and increase the sales price by $5,000?
All of this may result in an urge to tell your buyer’s agent exactly how much you will pay. That’s understandable. As a buyer, you want and need strategic advice.
Know What You’re Dealing With
Deal with a known quantity. Apart from the examples above, there are dozens of ways a seller can react to an offer. Much depends on factors such as the temperature of the marketplace, competition for the home, available financing and the seller’s motivation. A highly motivated seller may be more willing to negotiate if they want to close on a sale quickly. Offers should be structured from the beginning with those conditions in mind. When there are more homes available for sale than buyers to purchase them, those buyers are enjoying a cold market. Buyers have more homes to choose from, which increases the odds that a buyer will find their perfect home. When they find that perfect home, they’ll have less competition for it, which could help them avoid a bidding war. In a cold real estate market, serious sellers are often willing to negotiate. This means you can probably buy a home for less than list price, and the seller might be willing to pay some or all of your closing costs. It’s an easier and more relaxed experience for buyers. In a hot real estate market, meanwhile, there are more buyers than houses available to buy. The best outcome, of course, is the seller will accept the buyers’ offer upon presentation. And that, believe it or not, happens all the time.
