Negotiate with buyers
Hopefully, you’ve received multiple offers within just a few days or weeks of going live! The offer will come through in the One-to-Four Family Residential Contract.
There are three ways you or your listing agent can respond to a buyer’s offer:
1. Accept the offer. If the offer has everything you’re looking for – price, terms, and timing all look great – then you might just want to accept it without countering, especially if no other offers are on the table. Your agent will send over a real estate contract to sign.
2. Counter the offer. Most of the details of an offer are negotiable, including the home’s sale price and closing date. It could make sense to counter an offer if you’re confident you’ll receive another good one if the buyer declines it.
⚠️WARNING! If you counter an offer and the buyer accepts it, you’re technically under contract. Be careful if you plan on countering multiple offers because you could technically be under contract with multiple buyers.
3. Ignore the offer. You don’t have to respond to a lowball offer or one that doesn’t meet any of your criteria – especially if you have stronger offers on the table (or you’re confident others will come in.)
How long does it take to sell a house in Texas?
Timing depends mainly on your home’s desirability, and how well you’ve priced your home (higher-priced homes usually take longer to sell).
Texas listings are on the market for a median of 43 days, although that figure is lower in several major cities, according to Realtor.com.
| City | Median time to sell |
|---|---|
| Austin | 72 |
| Dallas | 61 |
| Fort Worth | 67 |
| San Antonio | 70 |
| Houston | 55 |
Talk with your agent to discuss expectations on when you might receive an acceptable offer after going live.
