Comparing Offers

A structured way to compare price, financing, seller-paid costs, timelines, preliminary proceeds, and the risk of delay or termination.

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What This Guide Covers

Financial strength
Contract terms
Estimated proceeds
Timing and possession
Risk comparison

Compare financial structure

Price is only one part of the offer.

Review financing type, cash status, down payment, documented lender readiness or underwriting status, proof of funds where appropriate, earnest money, and option fee.
Compare seller-paid buyer expenses, any seller contribution toward compensation the buyer owes the buyer’s broker, title-policy costs, survey costs, a residential service contract, repair credits or agreed repair costs, other seller-paid costs, and preliminary estimated seller net proceeds as separate items.

Compare timing and control

Dates and termination rights affect certainty.

Compare option period, financing deadlines, appraisal terms, closing date, possession, leaseback, title and survey requests, and proposed repair process.
Consider the seller’s moving plan and the cost or risk created by a timeline mismatch.

Estimate proceeds and closing risk

A higher price may produce lower proceeds or greater uncertainty.

Prepare an estimated net comparison that separates each seller-paid item, likely repair exposure, common seller costs, payoff, taxes, prorations, and timing effects.
Review risk of delay, risk of termination, backup-contract strategy, and the buyer’s documented readiness.
Evaluate offers using objective transaction terms—not protected characteristics.

Fictional comparison matrix

Simplified educational terms—not actual client data or a settlement statement.

Offer price	Offer A: $525,000 Offer B: $518,000 Offer C: $530,000
Financing	A: Conventional B: Cash C: Conventional
Documented lender readiness	A: Verify preapproval and status B: Not applicable; verify funds C: Verify preapproval and status
Proof of funds	A: Verify cash needed to close B: Verify purchase funds C: Verify cash needed to close
Earnest money	A: Verify amount and delivery B: Verify amount and delivery C: Verify amount and delivery
Option fee	A: Verify B: Verify C: Verify
Option period	A: 10 days B: 5 days C: 7 days
Appraisal provisions	A: Review contract B: Not financing-related; review contract C: Appraisal protection requested
Financing provisions	A: Review approval terms B: None stated in this example C: Review approval terms
Sale-of-other-property contingency	A: None stated in this example B: None stated in this example C: Requested
Seller-paid buyer expenses	A: $8,000 B: $0 C: $0
Seller contribution toward buyer-broker compensation	A: $0 B: $0 C: $5,000
Title and survey requests	A: Verify B: Verify C: Verify
Repair expectations	A: Unknown; verify B: Unknown; verify C: Unknown; verify
Closing date	A: 30 days B: 21 days C: Verify
Possession or temporary lease	A: Verify B: Verify C: Verify
Preliminary estimated proceeds	A: $517,000 before common seller costs B: $518,000 before common seller costs C: $525,000 before common seller costs
Confirmed strengths	A: Record verified strengths B: Record verified strengths C: Record verified strengths
Known risks	A: 10-day option and financing B: Terms still require review; cash is not guaranteed to close C: Appraisal protection, financing, and sale contingency
Still requiring verification	A: Lender status, funds, title, survey, repairs, possession B: Funds, title, survey, repairs, possession C: Lender status, funds, contingency, title, survey, repairs, closing, possession

Read the simplified proceeds correctly

The comparison isolates only selected offer economics.

The preliminary figures above subtract the stated seller-paid buyer expenses or buyer-broker compensation contribution from price only.
They exclude common seller costs, loan payoff, taxes and prorations, and unknown repair costs, and are used only to show why price, net, timing, and risk must all be compared.

Make the decision

Select the combination of proceeds, timing, and certainty that best supports the seller’s goals.

Document counteroffer priorities before responding in a multiple-offer situation.
Discuss whether to negotiate and execute a formal backup contract using the applicable contract addendum. No offer is guaranteed to close.

Action Checklist

Verify financing or funds
Compare documented lender readiness
Compare earnest money and option terms
Review appraisal and financing provisions
Separate every seller-paid cost
Calculate preliminary estimated proceeds
Compare closing and possession
Identify contingencies
Assess delay and termination risk
Compare only objective transaction terms
Consider a formal backup contract

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Selecting only by headline price
Ignoring concessions and repair expectations
Overlooking appraisal or sale contingencies
Accepting a timeline that does not work
Treating cash as automatically superior without reviewing all terms

Questions to Ask

What are estimated proceeds under each offer?
Which buyer appears best prepared to close?
Which contingencies create material risk?
What timing or possession terms matter to the seller?
Would a counteroffer improve the preferred option?

This guide provides general educational information and is not individualized legal, tax, lending, appraisal, or financial advice. Contract documents, current law, lender requirements, title documents, and property-specific professional evaluations control.

Last reviewed: July 2026

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