How to Make an Offer on a House

Q: Can you make an offer without a real estate agent?

You can make an offer on a house without an agent , but there are some pitfalls to be aware of. You’ll have to conduct some research on your own to make sure you’re offering a fair price. You can conduct a comparative market analysis, which takes into account the property’s features and price compared to other similar homes in the area. Be objective and make sure you present a fair price. However, having an agent who knows your local market and has experience negotiating contracts on behalf of buyers gives you a significant advantage over going at it alone. According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2024 Profile of Buyers and Sellers , 88% of homebuyers worked with a real estate agent or mortgage broker to complete the home purchase, largely to get help finding a home and negotiating the purchase.

How To Make an Offer on a House: 5 Basic Steps

To improve your chance of a successful sale, propose a realistic price and understand how the terms of your offer impact the seller.

By Daria Uhlig

Written by

Daria Uhlig

Freelance writer

Daria Uhlig has over 16 years of experience in mortgage and real estate. Her work has been featured by GoBankingRates, MSN Money, and Yahoo Finance.

Edited by Reina Marszalek

Written by

Reina Marszalek

Senior editor

Reina Marszalek has over 10 years of experience in personal finance and is a senior mortgage editor at Credible.

Updated March 14, 2025

Editorial disclosure: Our goal is to give you the tools and confidence you need to improve your finances. Although we receive compensation from our partner lenders, whom we will always identify, all opinions are our own. Credible Operations, Inc. NMLS # 1681276, is referred to here as “Credible.”

Credible takeaways

Before you make an offer on a house, research the property and arrange your financing.
When you write up your offer, decide whether you want to include contingencies or a buyer letter.
Be ready to negotiate if the seller counters your offer.

Touring homes to find the perfect one for your tastes and budget is the fun part — the work starts once you prepare to write an offer. But making an offer doesn’t have to be intimidating if you follow these steps.

How to make an offer on a house

Your offer specifies the price you’re willing to pay, plus other terms you hope the seller will agree to. In a competitive market, you might need to offer a little more than the home's sale price or waive certain contingencies to help your offer stand out. On the other hand, if the house has been on the market for a while, you may be able to offer a lower amount. Either way, an offer is your chance to present your case to the owner and explain why they should consider selling to you. Before you submit an offer, make sure you have financing lined up, you know what contingencies you will or won't skip, and you're ready to negotiate if there's a counteroffer. Here are the steps you should take in more detail:

Step 1: Get pre-approved

You can request a mortgage pre-approval from any lender. Contact the lender with your request and be prepared to supply the information needed to check your credit and review your income.

A pre-approval letter gives you an idea of how much house you can afford and shows the seller that you’ll be able to pay what you offer, by showing how much your lender might be willing to lend to you.

Step 2: Decide on a fair price

The next step is to determine the fair price of the home you wish to purchase. Here’s what you can do:

Look at recent sale prices of comparable homes in the same area as the home you want to purchase
Adjust for factors like condition and specific location
Ask your agent to provide comparables to you with a recommended offer price

In a buyer’s market, where supply exceeds demand, you might be able to offer less without jeopardizing the deal. In a seller’s market, where demand exceeds supply, you might find yourself bidding against competing buyers willing to pay even more than the asking price.

Tip:

When a home is overpriced, be prepared to justify your offer price with good comparables and market data showing the house is worth less than the seller is asking.

This is also a good strategy when you’re making an offer on a home that’s “for sale by owner.” An owner selling on their own won’t have professional guidance in setting the price.

Learn More: How Much to Offer on a House: 6 Tips for Getting Your Dream Home

Step 3: Consider any fees and contingencies

Contingencies are conditions that must be met in order for a sale to close. Common ones include:

Financing: States that the buyer must be able to secure mortgage financing by a certain date
Inspection: Allows the buyer to terminate the contract if they’re dissatisfied with the results and can’t negotiate an acceptable resolution
Appraisal: Lets the buyer terminate the agreement if the home fails to appraise for the sale price
Home sale: Lets the buyer back out if they can’t sell their current home by a certain date

As far as fees go, the only fee you pay at this point is the earnest money deposit, also referred to as an escrow deposit, which will be credited toward your down payment.

Earnest money is a show of good faith that you’re serious enough to risk your money, and it’s due once the seller accepts your offer.

Step 4: Draft and submit the offer

Next, your agent or real estate attorney will draft your offer using a sales contract. In addition to specifying buyers’ and sellers’ rights and responsibilities, contracts provide a step-by-step guide to completing the sale.

Some buyers also write a letter to tell the sellers a little bit about themselves and why they want to purchase the home. Adding a personal touch can help them stand out and sway the seller in their favor.

Expert tip:

“An offer letter is your chance to connect with the seller. Include some details about yourself and call out parts of the home you love, like the sunny kitchen where you picture your family eating breakfast.” — Reina Marszalek, Senior Editor, Mortgages

Your agent will submit the contract, pre-approval, your letter, and a copy of your earnest money deposit check to the seller’s agent.

Find Out: Seller Concessions: How to Get Your Closing Costs Paid For

Step 5: Decide on next steps

Now, you wait for a response. One of several things could happen next:

If the seller accepts your offer, your agent will deliver your earnest money deposit to the seller’s broker to clinch the deal.
If the seller counters your offer, you can accept, decline, or come back with another offer.
If the seller rejects your offer, you’ll get a hard “no” indicating you’ll need to keep house hunting.

FAQ

What do you need to make an offer on a house?

Open

The most important item is the purchase offer, which is typically the sales contract. Here are some of the items the agent will help you fill in:

The legal description, which is the physical location of the property
Names of the buyer and seller
Purchase price
Payment terms, including deposit amounts and the types of mortgage loans you’ll consider
Anticipated settlement date
Contingencies, as discussed above
Seller concessions, if you want to ask for them

In addition to the offer, you’ll submit your pre-approval letter, your personal letter (if you write one), and a photocopy of your earnest money deposit check.

Can you make an offer without a real estate agent?

Open

You can make an offer on a house without an agent, but there are some pitfalls to be aware of. You’ll have to conduct some research on your own to make sure you’re offering a fair price. You can conduct a comparative market analysis, which takes into account the property’s features and price compared to other similar homes in the area. Be objective and make sure you present a fair price.

However, having an agent who knows your local market and has experience negotiating contracts on behalf of buyers gives you a significant advantage over going at it alone. According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2024 Profile of Buyers and Sellers, 88% of homebuyers worked with a real estate agent or mortgage broker to complete the home purchase, largely to get help finding a home and negotiating the purchase.

What are common deal breakers in an offer?

Open

Price is one reason offers are rejected, but it’s not the only one. Here are some other common deal breakers:

Condition: Although sellers must disclose any material defects upfront, the home inspection can reveal issues the seller wasn’t aware of and might not be willing to fix.
Contingencies: In a competitive market where there are more homebuyers than properties, a contingency can put you at a disadvantage. It might be tempting to forego the protection a contingency provides by waiving it in your offer. It’s a good idea to consult your agent first if you’re considering contingencies.
Financing issues: Buyers who lack the cash to close can ask for seller concessions, which allow the buyer to finance their closing costs. Concessions reduce the seller’s proceeds from the sale and are a sign the buyer might be struggling to afford the house.

Can you back out of an offer?

Open

You can withdraw your offer before it’s accepted or if the seller makes a counteroffer you don’t accept. After you and the seller have both agreed to the contract terms and signed the contract, the contract is binding.

You can only back out for reasons the contract allows, like the contingencies, but in most states, the seller can’t force you to do much more than forfeit any earnest money you paid to secure the deal.

Meet the expert:

Daria Uhlig