Listing Roadmap: Step 4 Offer & Negotiation
Navigating Offers With Confidence
Once your home has been marketed and shown, it’s time for the exciting part: receiving an offer. Whether it’s a single buyer or multiple interested parties, our team is here to guide you through every detail — strategically and stress-free.
📑 Reviewing the Offer
When a buyer is ready to make a move, their agent will submit a formal Agreement of Purchase and Sale — the legal document that outlines their proposed terms for buying your home. This offer will include important details such as:
The purchase price they're offering
The deposit amount and when it’s due
The desired closing date
Any conditions, such as financing, home inspection, or sale of their current property
A list of inclusions and exclusions — like appliances, light fixtures, or window coverings
We’ll review the offer with you carefully and thoroughly, walking through each section and explaining exactly what’s being presented — including what’s standard, what’s negotiable, and what might need clarification or adjustment. This ensures you’re fully informed before making any decisions.
In addition to the offer itself, there are a few pieces of accompanying paperwork that may be required at this stage:
The Confirmation of Cooperation and Representation (Co-op Form) – This outlines how both the buyer and seller are being represented, and by which brokerages.
The FINTRAC Identification Form – As required by federal law, we’ll need to verify and document your identity at the time of the offer for anti-money laundering compliance.
Any Schedule A or B pages – These may include additional terms or clauses added by either the buyer or your brokerage to support the offer or protect your interests.
📄 It might feel like a lot of paperwork, but don’t worry — we’ll guide you through it all in plain language so you know exactly what you're signing and why.
Once you’ve reviewed everything, we’ll help you decide whether to accept, reject, or counter — and explain the pros and cons of each choice based on your goals and market conditions.
🔁 Negotiating the Deal: Strategy, Timing, and Terms
Once we’ve reviewed the offer together, it’s decision time — and there are three initial paths you can take:
Accept the offer as-is and move forward
Reject the offer if the terms don’t align with your goals
Or counter the offer with changes to the price, closing date, deposit, conditions, or inclusions/exclusions
If a counter-offer is made, negotiations begin. Sometimes it takes just one round to land on an agreement, while other times it may involve multiple back-and-forth conversations. Throughout the process, our role is to advocate for your best interests, keep communication smooth and professional, and provide guidance grounded in both experience and real-time market insight.
In certain situations — like a hot property or well-timed listing — you may even receive multiple offers. If that happens, we’ll walk you through each one carefully, comparing not just price, but also deposit strength, conditions, and buyer flexibility. Our goal is to help you choose the offer that gives you the strongest combination of value, security, and terms that meet your needs.
💬 Negotiation is where strategy matters most — and our team is here to make sure you never feel pressured or unprepared.
🔍 Conditions, Inspections & Financing
If the accepted offer includes conditions, this means the buyer has requested a short period of time to confirm certain elements before the deal becomes firm. Common conditions include:
Home Inspection – Gives the buyer a chance to have the property professionally assessed for structural soundness, safety, and major systems. If any issues arise, we’ll help you navigate next steps — whether that’s negotiating repairs, offering a credit, or reaffirming the deal as-is.
Financing Approval – Even if the buyer has been pre-approved, lenders often require a formal appraisal and documentation before issuing final approval. We’ll help coordinate communication and timelines to keep things moving smoothly.
Sale of Buyer’s Property – In some cases, the buyer may need to sell their current home before they can close on yours. If this condition is included, we’ll discuss whether it aligns with your goals and how to protect your interests.
During this conditional period, our team manages the logistics, tracks deadlines, and keeps you informed every step of the way. Once all conditions are satisfied or waived, the offer becomes firm and binding, and we’re one step closer to the finish line.
🗂️ We take care of the fine print so you can focus on what’s next — whether that’s packing boxes or just taking a deep breath.
⏭️ What Happens Next?
Once the offer is accepted and conditions are met, we’re nearly there — but there are still a few final steps to wrap everything up. In the final part of our series, we’ll walk you through closing preparation and moving day logistics so you know exactly what to expect.
🗝️ Stay tuned for Step 5: Closing Day & Beyond.
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