It's time for
another installment of
Ask an Agent where you have the opportunity to
ask an actual real estate agent questions about buying and selling.
Our gal of expertise is
Avryll McNair of
Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage.
She’s been selling and buying condos and houses in Toronto for over five
years. She has a background in home furnishing and lifestyle (she
helped design the
IKEA
store in Etobicoke). That means she can
help buyers see beyond the smoke and mirrors of staging but conversely
knows how to make a home look its best for sellers.
Today's question comes from Tina who asks: What’s the best offer strategy: Early offer to scare others off, or late, last-minute sniper offer?
Avryll: I LOVE the term sniper offer – that’s a new one to me! Individual
agents definitely have their own ideas regarding the best offer
strategies.
I think it's always important to touch base with a listing
representative to make sure you have as many details as possible about
the property and/or the seller's circumstances. Often a listing will
indicate a date range for closing, although in most instances when I
inquire there is actually an ideal date that is preferred by the
seller.
I want my buyer clients to have the subtle advantage of being
favourable on as many negotiables as possible. In aggressive markets
where multiple offers are common, buyers grow frustrated and
jump the queue with early offers. This "bully" offer strategy is
aggressive and only occasionally successful for the buyer who initiates
it, usually requiring an over-list price, unconditional offer.
A buyer
with a sniper strategy who waits to reveal their interest in the last
moments risks a higher probability of missing out if the sellers
circumstances change.
Do you have a burning question about real estate for our Ask an Agent feature? Please post them below and we’ll send them to our resident agent.
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