Curious How to Handle Multiple Offers? Check Out My Tried and True Tips!
This week I received 20 offers on one of my listings. Many of them within the last hour before offer review. It was intense and exciting. But it can easily become overwhelming and stressful, for you and for the agents representing the buyers offering on your listing. I jotted down the things I do for every offer, every time.
✔️ Reply to confirm receipt of every email offer
✔️ Call to speak with every agent who submitted an offer to say thank you
✔️Call to speak with every loan officer
✔️ Once I had 5 offers in hand, I update the agent-only remarks on the MLS to say, “Multiple offers received. Please call listing broker before writing an offer.” This is simply to save agents time and save the buyers heartache, if they aren’t in the running. If they choose to submit anyway, at least I did my part to communicate the status.
✔️Prep a multiple offer spreadsheet, present all the offers and let the seller choose the one that works best for them.
✔️ Email all the agents to say thank you if they didn’t win, and give feedback on the winning terms. I also call all the agents back and personally check to see if anyone wants to be in a back-up position.
A quick story…
Hours after mutual acceptance, I was finishing dinner and received a call. This was from an agent checking on the status of their offer. I didn’t recognize her number or her name. Because I never received her offer. The takeaways for her, and for all of us who do this work are:
1. Always call the listing agent to confirm receipt of your offer. If they don’t answer, leave a voice message and send a follow-up text.
2. Always request that the agent on the listing reply to confirm receipt of your emailed offer.
3. Always copy your client’s loan officer in the offer email you submit. This makes it easy for follow-up by the listing agent.
4. Find creative ways to make yourself memorable to the listing agent. Add emojis to your texts, mention if you have something in common or a shared acquaintance. Professionalism is important, but you can inject your personality into your exchanges in small and appropriate ways.
5. Don’t think your job is over once you’ve pressed the “Send” button on your email. Our office requires that the firm’s brokerage email address is copied on all the offers we submit. It’s not considered “delivered” otherwise. In addition to this, I always blind copy myself, so I can be sure it was sent and didn’t get lost.
Is all of this over the top and obsessive? Maybe. But I don’t care. I’m doing what it takes to provide exceptional service to my clients.
Want a copy of our multiple offer spreadsheet? Simply fill out the form below and Rebecca will be in touch!