Every seller is different – they won’t always have the same reason for not responding to a purchase offer, but here are the most common reasons.
The Offer Was Too Low
Sometimes sellers don’t bother with a response when the offer is too low. But how low is too low?
It depends on the situation. Most sellers won’t acknowledge an offer that’s 10% less than the market value. It’s insulting to them, and they don’t want to deal with the back and forth of a counteroffer. Some sellers may even be offended by the lowball offer like you are trying to take advantage of them.
Sometimes a low offer also signifies that you aren’t serious. You are just throwing a dart out there to see if it sticks. Again, sellers won’t waste their time, especially if you’re bidding during a seller’s market.
Yet, in some cases, sellers can’t counter multiple offers at once or even make more than one counter on one specific offer.
The Offer Was Too High
It seems backward, a house seller not responding could be due to your offer being too high. When an offer is too high, most real estate agents will advise their client not to accept it. Here’s why.
Unless the buyer is paying cash, which most cash buyers don’t bid over the asking price or even near it, they’ll need financing. No lender will approve a loan for the full amount if the buyer offered more than the home is worth. The lender will require an appraisal and use that value to determine your loan amount.
If you made an offer on a house with no response, check the market value of homes in the area. If your offer was much higher, you have your answer.
They Received A Better Offer
In today’s market, chances are you aren’t the only person looking at the home. The seller may receive a handful of offers at the same time. Sellers have just as much time in their day as you do, so they may prioritize the offers, responding only to those they want to counter or consider.
What makes an offer better than your offer?
Money always talks, of course. An offer for a higher amount but within the market value will catch a seller’s attention faster than a lower offer. Sometimes it’s not about the money, though. Sellers also look closely at contingencies. If you have a handful of contingencies in your offer, but another buyer doesn’t, yours may not receive a response because they chose the other offer.
You Didn’t Meet Their Needs
Just like you have needs in a home, sellers have needs in the contract and the terms of sale. Sellers may need:
- Your lender to write a Verified Approval Letter. This gives sellers peace of mind knowing you’re qualified to buy the house and won’t back out of the contract, leaving them back at square one selling the home.
- A shorter escrow period because they are in a hurry to move. If they are relocating or have other urgent reasons to move fast, they may choose someone who can close in a few weeks.
- More time to close because their new home won’t be ready yet. If the seller is buying a house at the same time as selling their current home, they may need more time in their current home until their new house is ready.
- A higher earnest money deposit. Sellers in some areas want high earnest money deposits to guarantee you’re serious about buying the home. If you can’t make a large enough deposit, they may ignore your offer.
- You to ignore the details of the home inspection and not require them to pay for and make the repairs. Some sellers don’t want to be bothered with the home’s issues. They are selling it and want to be done.
FAQs
If you make an offer and the seller doesn't respond at all, your offer was probably too low. Some sellers might not respond on purpose to send you a message that they were “offended” by your offer. The real estate consultant is required to inform the seller of all offers, but the seller is not required to respond.
What happens if you make an offer on a house and they don't respond? ›
What Happens If A Home Seller Doesn't Respond To An Offer? Typically, the original offer will include a deadline that provides the seller with a date when you'd need a response. If there's no response to your home offer by that time, the offer expires. This means you can walk away without any contractual obligations.
How long after making an offer should you hear back? ›
The typical response time for a seller after receiving an offer is 24-72 hours. However, it could take longer, depending on market conditions and other factors. Sellers want time to thoroughly review an offer's details, get feedback from their agent, and potentially wait to see if other competitive offers come in.
Why would a seller not respond to an offer? ›
Although frustrating, sellers aren't legally obligated to respond to your offer. If they don't like it, feel offended by it, or don't have the time to respond, they don't have to.
How long after seeing a house should you make an offer? ›
But the general advice “if you like a house, place a bid” holds true everywhere. As Chris West puts it, “Don't wait. If you see something, make the offer. There's not any point in waiting.”
Can a seller just 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 choose not to deal with offers well below the asking price — "low-ball" offers — especially if they have better offers on the table.
How long do sellers have to respond to an offer? ›
When Do Sellers Need to Respond to an Offer? While there is no legal deadline that sellers have to respond by, it is ideal for sellers to respond within 24 hours. Most sellers typically respond within 24 to 72 hours after receiving an offer.
How do you know if your house offer is accepted? ›
Some offers could be accepted in 24-48 hours; other offers might take more than a week to get a response from the seller. Generally, though, a seller's agent will take about one to three days to respond after you have made an offer. Certain factors can influence the seller's response time and cause an unusual delay.
Can a seller accept another offer while under contract? ›
The one type of offer a seller is allowed to accept while under contract with a buyer is a backup offer. A backup offer puts that buyer next in line if for any reason the original contract falls through.
How do I convince a seller to accept my offer? ›
Steps to Write an Offer
- Make sure the price is right. ...
- Show proof of pre-qualification. ...
- Offer more earnest money. ...
- Waive certain contingencies. ...
- Include an escalation clause. ...
- Limit your asks for extras. ...
- Be agreeable to the seller's needs. ...
- Be polite.
If your bid wins, your earnest money is deducted from the amount you owe at closing. If the seller rejects your offer, your earnest money should be returned. Bottom line: being cautious about your earnest deposit may be why your home offer was not accepted.
Why is the seller taking so long to respond? ›
Another reason your offer might go unanswered is if it's too low. “If an offer is far from what a seller expected to receive, many times they won't respond at all,” says Parnes. Other times you might not hear back for a completely unrelated reason—such as the seller is out of town or on vacation.
What happens when there are multiple offers on a house? ›
When there are multiple offers, the seller typically takes one of three actions: Accepts the most favorable offer. Counters all offers to give everyone a chance to come back with a better bid in an effort to get the best price and terms. Counters the offer closest to the price and terms the seller's seeking.
Do sellers usually accept first offer? ›
Real estate agents often suggest that sellers either accept the first offer or at least give it serious consideration. Real estate agents around the world generally go by the same mantra when discussing the first offer that a seller receives on their home: “The first offer is always your best offer.”
Can you walk away after putting an offer on a house? ›
The short answer is yes, a buyer is free to withdraw their offer at any time. However, depending on the contract, there may be penalties for doing so. Many purchase agreements typically include various contingencies meant to protect both parties from a deal that has gone wrong.
How many times do people look at a house before making an offer? ›
It's hard to say. There's a range of factors that will affect how interested people are in making an offer or buying your home. In most cases, however, it generally takes somewhere between 10 and 25 showings to sell a house. With that in mind, it can sometimes take just a few showings, and others can take many more.
What happens if the seller doesn't accept an offer by deadline? ›
For example, the standard California residential purchase agreement states that the offer “shall be deemed revoked and the deposit, if any, shall be returned to Buyer” if the seller fails to accept the offer by 5 p.m. on the third day after the buyer signed the offer.
Can a seller back out after accepting an offer? ›
Bottom line. “Generally, a seller can't cancel without cause,” Schorr says. “You could build in some contingency, but absent that, you had better be committed to the sale.” Reneging because you fear you underpriced the house, or you actually receive a better offer, doesn't count as “cause.”
Can a buyer back out after accepting an offer? ›
The short answer is yes, a buyer is free to withdraw their offer at any time. However, depending on the contract, there may be penalties for doing so.
Do you have to respond to an offer on a house? ›
After all, aren't the buyers giving the sellers exactly what their listing asked for? However, there are currently no U.S. laws that require this. Home sellers are free to reject or counter even a contingency-free, full-price offer, and aren't bound to any terms until they sign a written real estate purchase agreement.
