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The Daily Insight

Can a Realtor tell you what to offer

Author

Dylan Hughes

Published Mar 18, 2026

While real estate agents can guide a buyer to choose the right number, don’t expect a buyer’s agent to name your precise price. … Here are a few reasons many agents will refuse to tell you how much you should offer on a home: The offer was too low.

Can Realtors reveal offers?

While some REALTORS® may be reluctant to disclose terms of offers, even at the direction of their seller-clients, the Code of Ethics does not prohibit such disclosure. In some cases state law or real estate regulations may limit the ability of brokers to disclose the existence or terms of offers to third parties.

Do estate agents have to tell you about offers?

An estate agent is legally obliged to tell you every offer that is made in writing unless you have asked them not to. For example, you might not want to hear about offers under a certain amount.

Can I ask my realtor what to offer?

Your real estate agent will know what you should offer to secure your future house. In a buyer’s market, you can offer lower than the asking price. You’ll still have a good chance of getting the house. On the other hand, in a seller’s market, you’ll need to offer at or above the asking price.

Do agents lie about offers?

Yes, the occasional real estate agent might lie about an offer. However, the vast majority would never do so. In real estate personal recommendations and reputation are critical to success. The loss to an agents professional reputation and the subsequent impact on their business would far outweigh any financial gain.

Can an estate agent withhold an offer?

The buying agent must record all offers received and not conceal, misrepresent, withhold or delay communicating offers. It is the seller who decides whether to accept an offer; to reject an offer; when to stop marketing the property after an offer has been made, and to whom to sell the property to and at what price.

Can I outbid an accepted offer?

If the purchase contract hasn’t been signed, the seller could accept another offer, even if you think they’ve accepted yours. The seller generally cannot cancel your contract if you are in compliance simply because the seller received a better offer from another buyer.

When you put an offer on a house what happens next?

“If your offer is accepted, the sale process begins, a deposit is made within three days, and inspections and appraisal are typically completed within 17 days,” says broker Brandon Brown. “Loan approval is then completed before 21 days, with the closing of the property happening around day 30.”

What is the most common reason a home fails to sell?

The most common reason a property fails to sell is an unreasonable asking price by the seller. An asking price that’s too high is the surest way to increase your days on market and have a “non-starter” listing that buyers simply ignore.

Can I talk to the seller directly?

Can A Buyer And Seller Communicate Directly? While it is unethical for a REALTOR to speak to another agent’s client, there is nothing wrong with a buyer and seller communicating directly. They are not held to the same ethical standards. It is completely ok for a buyer and seller to directly speak to each other.

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Can an estate agent refuse a viewing?

Estate agents aren’t allowed to discriminate against you for a number of reasons. For example, they can’t refuse to show you a certain property because the owner doesn’t want to sell to people of a certain religion or belief. If an estate agent discriminates against you, you can complain to the estate agent’s company.

Can you accept another offer on a house?

The issue is not legal or illegal: it’s meaningless. A seller cannot accept another offer if the listing became “in-contract.” A home is “in-contract” after the buyer and the seller have signed the contract. The buyer needs to pay the downpayment at the time of signing. … Only fully completed contracts have legal value.

Can you have two offers on houses?

Can you put multiple offers on houses? You can put multiple offers on houses – and it’s a common practice amongst buyers. There is no law against making offers on more multiple houses.

Is my Realtor lying?

If you’re unsure whether an agent is lying to you about their production, a simple phone call to their broker to find out their track record will usually uncover whether they’re lying or not about their sales history.

Do sellers always take the highest offer?

No, the seller is under no obligation to accept any offer. And if the market is a strong seller’s market, they are likely to wait for offers that are above asking price. Can a seller counter a “highest and best” offer? Yes, the seller can counter at any time during the negotiation process.

Is a seller required to accept a full price offer?

A seller is not bound to accept any offer, even at full price. However, your seller could be in breach of your listing agreement by refusing to accept the full-price offer.

How much should I offer on a house in 2021?

Some real estate professionals suggest offering 1% – 3% more than the asking price to make the offer competitive, while others suggest simply offering a few thousand dollars more than the current highest bid.

Can a seller accept a higher offer after accepting?

“Although this will cause some pushback and sometimes isn’t looked at as the most ethical, a seller can legally still accept any other offer up until attorney review conclude as the deal isn’t officially under contract.” For the most part, though, buyers more commonly back out of contracts rather than sellers.

Can you ask for proof of another offer on a house?

Answer: The short answer is no. There’s no way to get absolute proof of another offer, except when an Escalation Addendum is used (which I’ll address later), but there are strategies to help determine how legitimate a listing agent’s claim of multiple offers is.

Can an estate agent refuse to pass on an offer?

You must sign a legally binding contract with an estate agent if you use one to sell your home. They must show any offers promptly and in writing to the person selling the house. … Estate agents are also legally obliged to pass on any other offers for the property right up to when contracts are exchanged.

How long should you take to respond to a House offer?

Try to respond swiftly when a buyer makes an offer, or be clear with your selling agent about the time you need to consider an offer. If you consider the offer to be too low, you might feel it’s sensible to provide an immediate response. Otherwise, it’s normal to respond within 48 hours.

What is the secret to a fast sale of a property?

The secret to a fast sale is: a seller might have to lower the price of the property.

Why am I not getting offers on my house?

One of the most common reasons a home doesn’t get offers is incorrect pricing for the market. While you may assume this means pricing too high, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes pricing low causes potential buyers to think there is something wrong with the property and avoid visiting an open house altogether.

What to do when your house is being shown?

  1. Keep Things Squeaky Clean. …
  2. Empty the Trash Cans. …
  3. Add Fresh Flowers. …
  4. Make Sure Your Home Smells Lovely. …
  5. Keep Clutter to a Minimum.

What two things should you do before you make an offer?

  • Research the Area. …
  • Research the House. …
  • Do a Walkthrough. …
  • Check Utilities. …
  • Talk to the Neighbors. …
  • Get an Inspection. …
  • Give Yourself Options. …
  • Secure Financing.

What happens once offer is accepted?

After your offer is approved, you will have the opportunity to inspect the home and conduct walkthroughs before closing. … In some cases, sellers may be willing to make repairs free of charge before closing. But many sellers sell homes “as is,” meaning that they are not required to make any repairs to them.

How long does it take to buy a house once offer accepted?

There’s no set time for how long it takes to move in once an offer has been accepted. In a previous article, our data showed that it can take between 12 weeks and 6 months to buy a house depending on your personal situation. It’ll then take a further 1-2 days to completely move in.

Can a seller ignore an offer?

A seller may dismiss an offer altogether if they believe it to be unreasonable, incomplete, or otherwise not in their best interests. … Sellers may also choose to ignore offers that contain what they see as unreasonable terms, such as little or no earnest money deposit or excessive seller concessions.

What should a seller expect at closing?

A sellers’ closing costs often include things like loan payoff costs, transfer taxes, title insurance fees, liens against the property, and agent commission. A personal checkbook for incidentals. Any outstanding documents the agent still needs.

How do you deal with an unethical realtor?

If you have a complaint against a licensed real estate agent or business, visit California DRE’s website for details on How To File A Complaint, or call the California DRE Public Information Line at (877) 373-4542.

Can you negotiate house price after offer accepted?

Once a buyer’s offer on a property is accepted by its seller, in estate agent speak, the property becomes “sold subject to contract”, which means that the price can still be negotiated. … If you’re not bothered about possibly losing your buyer, you can walk away from the deal and put your house back on the market.