A couple of years ago, getting an offer on a listing often meant calling every agent who had shown the home. “We have an offer in hand. If your buyer is interested, now is the time.”
That call could bring another buyer forward. It could also turn an offer into a competition before the first buyer and seller had even had a real conversation.
At my Sunnyside listing at 4208 Umatilla Street, I could tell buyers weren’t eager to play that game.
Plenty of interest. No offers.
About 15 days after we listed, we had roughly 30 showings and a lot of positive feedback. People liked the house. I kept following up with the agents who had brought buyers through.
Still, nobody had written an offer.
I started thinking about what happens after a buyer submits one. If they expect their offer to be used immediately to draw out competing bids, making the first move feels risky. They may like the home and still decide to wait.
So I gave them a different path.
A 24-hour window to negotiate
I let the interested agents know that if their buyer submitted an offer, I would give that buyer and my seller 24 hours to try to come to terms before I shopped the offer to other buyers.
It was a simple promise: put something on paper, and we’ll have a direct conversation. We won’t immediately use your offer to create a bidding war.
A few agents called me to say they were going to steal the idea for their own listings. More importantly, one of the buyers finally made an offer.
It was below where my seller wanted to be. We held to the 24-hour window anyway. The offer gave us a starting point, and we spent nearly the full day negotiating. By the end, we had terms much closer to my seller’s desired price.
Why it worked
The buyer felt comfortable making a move because they knew what would happen next. My seller had a serious offer to work with and the chance to negotiate toward her goal. Both sides stayed at the table long enough to find an agreement.
We’re now past inspection and moving toward closing. The sale isn’t final yet, but my seller has a contract she feels good about at a time when rising mortgage rates have made buyers more cautious.
I’ve known Sunnyside since I lived near 42nd and Bryant at the start of my real estate career. I still believe a good home here can draw real interest. This listing reminded me that interest alone doesn’t get a seller to closing. Sometimes the most useful move is to change how you invite a buyer into the conversation.
If you’re thinking about selling a home in Sunnyside, I’d be glad to talk through what buyers are responding to and how I’d approach your particular home. Check out my neighborhood profile on Sunnyside, HERE.
Jon Mottern
The Source at SERHANT.
