How to Write a Winning Real Estate Offer Letter

Your house hunting work finally pays off, you find the perfect home and you’re ready to make an offer. But how do you compete with other prospective buyers who’ve also decided this home is “the one”? This is a common predicament buyers face in this competitive, low inventory market is having to compete with others for your potential dream home. And the reality is, you aren’t always going to be able to provide the largest offer on a home.

Fortunately, there are ways to make your real estate offer letter more competitive when more cash isn’t an option. Write a well-written letter to back your bid. Creating a human connection with the current homeowners can sometimes trump a higher bid. An offer letter gives you the opportunity to do just this while explaining to them why you want their home and why they should choose your offer

“I recently worked with some first-time home-buyers who fell in love with a highly desirable townhouse and were determined to get it,” said Redfin real estate agent Lesley Lannan. “Theirs was the first offer on the property, and the owner was so touched by their letter that he accepted their offer and canceled a subsequent Open House. I can’t underscore the importance of offer letters more.”

Here are some tips to help you write a strong offer letter:

1. Make Your Home Buyer Purchase Offer Letter Stand Out:

Real estate offer letters are becoming more common among buyers, which means you need to find a way to make yours stand out from others. Think of it as a resume. A fantastic letter with attention-grabbing fonts is going to attract more attention than others letters. Need a template? If you’re looking for a well-crafted home purchase offer letter template then you should check out this one that turned this couple’s dream home into a reality.

2. Explain in the Offer What You Love About the House

Don’t just tell the sellers you want their house, tell them why you want it. Whether it was a beautiful master bathroom, a modern kitchen or a big backyard that grabbed your attention, the owners will be delighted to hear what you liked most about their home.

3. Make a Personal Connection in the Letter

Mentioning a mutual love for certain things like dogs or the Eagles in your letter, or sharing a common value or hobby with the sellers can help create a mutual bond. Making this personal connection in your offer letter is an easy way to make yourself more relatable. It will also show that you’re not sending the same generic letter with every offer you submit as a buyer.

“A couple of clients of mine had a cat that had been recently diagnosed with diabetes,” said agent Cheryl Demarco. “They fell in love with a house and discovered that its owners also had cats. In their house offer letter, they told the homeowner how perfect the home was for them and their disabled kitty—down to the small pantry in front of the bathroom is a perfect place for all of his new supplies and medications. My clients won the home in a multiple offer situation.”

4. Print a Hard Copy of the Offer for the Sellers

Think about how many emails you receive daily versus how many hard-copy letters you get. If you send your real estate offer letter through email, there is a chance it could go to spam. If the seller’s still live in the home, and there are no other showings after yours, agents recommend leaving a hard copy of your offer letter on the seller’s kitchen counter. This will give you a leg up on the competition, as well as give you peace of mind knowing that it ended up in their hands and not in their spam folder.