The Best Offer Isn’t Always the One With the Biggest Number
When you’re selling a home, it’s natural to focus on the price a buyer is offering. After all, one of the primary goals of selling is to maximize the financial return on your property.
But here’s something I explain to my sellers: the highest offer isn’t necessarily the best offer.
An offer is much more than a purchase price. It’s a combination of financing, contingencies, deadlines, deposits, closing terms, and the likelihood that the transaction will actually make it to the closing table.
And in Vermont, where properties can have unique characteristics and financing considerations, those details can make a significant difference.
I’m Erin McCormick, a Realtor with Keller Williams Vermont, and when I’m helping a seller evaluate an offer, I want to understand more than what the buyer is willing to pay.
I want to understand what the seller is likely to receive, what obligations they’re agreeing to, and what could potentially prevent the transaction from closing.
Because a great offer on paper isn’t particularly valuable if it never becomes a completed sale.
Purchase Price and Net Proceeds Aren’t the Same Thing
Let’s say your Vermont home is listed for $600,000 and you receive two offers.
One buyer offers $620,000 but requests $15,000 in seller concessions toward closing costs.
Another buyer offers $610,000 without requesting concessions.
Before considering any other terms, the second offer actually provides $5,000 more in proceeds before other selling expenses.
That’s why I don’t evaluate offers based on the headline price alone.
I want sellers to understand the estimated net proceeds associated with each offer, accounting for any requested concessions, credits, or other financial terms.
And I want them to recognize that those numbers can change during the transaction.
An offer that looks particularly attractive today may become less appealing if the buyer later requests substantial repairs or a price reduction following inspections.
That doesn’t mean we should assume a buyer will renegotiate.
But it does mean we should understand the financial structure of the offer rather than focusing exclusively on the purchase price.
Financing Matters More Than Some Sellers Realize
A buyer’s financing can have a meaningful impact on the transaction.
Is the buyer purchasing with cash, conventional financing, a VA loan, an FHA loan, or another mortgage product?
Have they been thoroughly preapproved?
What down payment are they planning to make?
And are there any financing conditions that could create additional uncertainty?
I want to understand those details without making assumptions about the buyer’s qualifications based solely on the type of loan they’re using.
A VA or FHA offer, for example, shouldn’t automatically be considered weaker than a conventional offer. What matters is the actual financing structure, the lender’s preparation, the property requirements, and the terms of the contract.
A cash offer can eliminate mortgage approval risk, but it still requires appropriate verification of funds and careful review of any other contingencies.
And a buyer with a substantial down payment isn’t automatically guaranteed to close.
My goal is to assess the actual terms and documentation supporting each offer.
Appraisal Risk Can Be Especially Important in Vermont
One of the challenges of Vermont real estate is that not every property has a large pool of comparable sales.
A lakefront home, historic farmhouse, rural property with substantial acreage, or unique contemporary house may be difficult to compare with recently sold properties.
That can create uncertainty when a buyer is financing the purchase and the lender requires an appraisal.
Imagine receiving an offer that’s significantly higher than the recent comparable sales appear to support.
That doesn’t automatically mean the offer is unrealistic.
But it does raise an important question: what happens if the property appraises below the contract price?
Will the buyer have additional funds available?
Does the offer address an appraisal shortfall?
What financing or appraisal protections are included?
And what happens if the lender won’t finance the amount the buyer anticipated?
These are questions I want to evaluate before advising a seller to accept an offer.
A higher price with substantial appraisal uncertainty may be less attractive than a slightly lower offer with a more clearly defined financing plan.
Contingencies Are About Risk, Not Just Convenience
Inspection, financing, appraisal, and home-sale contingencies can all influence the strength of an offer.
But I don’t believe sellers should automatically prefer whichever offer has the fewest contingencies.
Contingencies serve legitimate purposes, and their presence doesn’t necessarily mean a buyer is less committed.
Instead, I look at how each contingency is structured.
How long does the buyer have to complete inspections?
What conditions allow them to withdraw?
Are there specific deadlines for financing?
Is the buyer’s purchase dependent on selling another property?
What happens if a problem is discovered?
I also want to consider the property itself.
If we’re selling an older Vermont farmhouse with a private septic system, it may be entirely reasonable for a buyer to request time to evaluate the property’s condition and infrastructure.
The question is whether the contingency terms create a level of uncertainty that’s acceptable to the seller.
And that’s something we need to assess in the context of the entire offer.
The Closing Date Can Be Worth More Than You Think
Sometimes a seller’s priorities aren’t exclusively financial.
Maybe you’ve already purchased another home and want to close as quickly as reasonably possible.
Perhaps you’re relocating for work and need a particular closing date.
Or maybe you’re selling a property you’ve owned for decades and would benefit from additional time to move.
A buyer who’s willing to accommodate your preferred timeline may offer meaningful value, even if their purchase price is slightly lower.
The same goes for other logistical terms.
A buyer who doesn’t require the seller to complete certain nonessential work before closing, or who offers reasonable flexibility around possession, may make the transaction easier to manage.
Of course, those terms need to be documented carefully and reviewed with the appropriate professionals.
But I don’t want sellers overlooking their own convenience and priorities simply because one offer has a bigger number.
A Strong Deposit Is Helpful, but It Isn’t a Guarantee
An earnest money deposit can demonstrate a buyer’s commitment to the transaction.
But the size of the deposit doesn’t tell us everything.
The contract determines how the deposit is handled and under what circumstances it may be returned or forfeited.
A larger deposit doesn’t necessarily eliminate the buyer’s rights under applicable contingencies.
That’s why I evaluate the deposit alongside the rest of the contract rather than treating it as a standalone indicator of certainty.
I want sellers to understand what protections the agreement actually provides, not what we assume those protections mean.
The Best Offer Depends on the Seller
Here’s something I think is often overlooked: the same two offers may be evaluated differently by two different sellers.
Someone who needs to relocate quickly may prioritize a dependable closing timeline.
Someone who’s already moved out may have more flexibility and be comfortable with a longer process.
A seller who needs proceeds from the sale to purchase another property may be particularly sensitive to financing uncertainty.
And someone selling a second home may have entirely different priorities.
That’s why I spend time understanding my clients’ goals before we ever receive an offer.
I don’t want to make assumptions about what matters most to you.
I want to help you evaluate your options based on your actual priorities.
My Job Is to Explain the Tradeoffs
When I present offers to a seller, I don’t want to simply announce which one has the highest price.
I want to explain the differences.
What are the estimated proceeds?
What financing is involved?
What are the contractual deadlines?
What could affect the closing?
What obligations would the seller be accepting?
And where do I see potential concerns that deserve discussion?
I also want to be clear about what we can’t predict.
No offer is guaranteed to close, and no financing type or contingency structure eliminates every possibility of complications.
But thoughtful analysis can help us understand the relative risks.
Ultimately, the decision belongs to the seller.
My responsibility is to provide the information, context, and advice needed to make that decision confidently.
A Successful Sale Is More Than an Accepted Offer
An accepted offer is an important milestone.
But the transaction isn’t complete until the necessary obligations have been satisfied and the sale closes.
That’s why I evaluate offers with the entire transaction in mind.
The strongest offer isn’t necessarily the one that generates the most excitement when it arrives.
It’s the one that best aligns with the seller’s goals after considering price, terms, obligations, and the risks involved.
I’d rather help you choose an offer that makes sense from beginning to end than celebrate a high number that ultimately doesn’t deliver the outcome you wanted.
If you’re considering selling your Vermont home, I’d love to help you develop a strategy for pricing, marketing, and evaluating offers that reflects your priorities.
Erin McCormick | Realtor, Keller Williams Vermont
Founder, Travel Like a Local® Vermont | Live Local Vermont