LeeMarie Kennedy for SoFi

A guide to how counteroffers work in real estate

Most people aren’t prepared for the wild and sometimes-bumpy ride of negotiating counteroffers in real estate, even though the experience is remarkably common.

Home sellers are free to make a counteroffer if they’re dissatisfied with a buyer’s initial bid. Usually, that counteroffer indicates they’ve accepted the buyer’s offer subject to certain changes, including updates to contingencies, closing date, and sales price.

Counteroffers are a fairly standard part of the home-buying process, but the rules of engagement might not seem remotely intuitive at the time. To help you understand how counteroffers in real estate work, what the typical negotiating steps look like, and how to counteroffer on real estate, SoFi

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