Writing a letter to accompany an offer? (accept, housing, property)
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We had a few offers come in over the weekend. One of them was accompanied by a very nice letter from the buyers. A little about them, how much they loved the house, etc. It really tugged at my wife's heartstrings, and if I'm being honest mine a bit too. But unfortunately it was not the strongest offer. I had to remind my wife what we talked about before. We had to be like Spock, numbers and logic, not emotion.
I am curious now how common this practice is? We never did it as buyers, but when we talked to BIL/SIL they said they did. For you RE professionals, do you recommend your clients do this? And if so do you think it gives them an edge?
It wasn't enough to sway us towards a weaker offer, but it definitely made a psychological impact. I think if the offers would have been similar/same, we'd go with the people who wrote the letter.
It happens.
Some people write very good letters, with a good tone, level-headed.
Some people are just too saccharine.
Some people make the letter all about themselves.
And, some sellers take offense, swinging their emotional pendulum totally 180° from your reaction.
I always warn my buyers who want to write that they may get that reaction, and it may actually hurt them.
Yeah, it is a business transaction. But, for sellers who are selling a family home with generations of history, it can be smart to acknowledge that point, too.
We have done it… Sometimes if it’s close it may make a difference.
Sometimes there is an important emotional element to the decision ... And that’s not a bad thing. We have had sellers who have had to choose between two good letters and very similar offers. Sometimes it’s not easy and many times it’s not only about money.
When we sell our own place, it will be very important to me that it go to someone who will continue to care about what we have cared about here. It will be as important as the money.
A coworker's sister wrote a letter, and her offer was accepted. I have no idea if that offer was the strongest one and would've won the deal anyway, with or without the letter.
It seems to me that if that became common, then whoever can invent the best sob story, or perhaps is the best writer, wins. If it's not common, then whoever writes the letter wins, I guess. Remember, OP-- the other people who made offers may have stories as equally heartwarming; they just didn't tell you about them. (Some people might see an element of manipulation in such a thing, I suppose.)
We have done it… Sometimes if it’s close it may make a difference.
Sometimes there is an important emotional element to the decision ... And that’s not a bad thing. We have had sellers who have had to choose between two good letters and very similar offers. Sometimes it’s not easy and many times it’s not only about money.
When we sell our own place, it will be very important to me that it go to someone who will continue to care about what we have cared about here. It will be as important as the money.
I just want someone who will accept a deed commitment that they won't top my Crape Myrtles...
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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We received a letter with an offer on our house. I never opened it.
It's a lot of emotional and mental work to detach from a "home" in order to sell the "property". There was no way I was going to get drawn into anything other than numbers.
It seems to me that if that became common, then whoever can invent the best sob story, or perhaps is the best writer, wins. If it's not common, then whoever writes the letter wins, I guess. Remember, OP-- the other people who made offers may have stories as equally heartwarming; they just didn't tell you about them. (Some people might see an element of manipulation in such a thing, I suppose.)
Sometimes it's not about sob stories, it's about how strong they are as a buyer, or how committed they are to the process, or how they intend to remodel the home, or what they'd like to do with the property. And yes, if it's unwanted or too emotional, it can backfire.
In our case, we have quite a wildlife sanctuary here, something we nurture and encourage... and we wouldn't want to sell to anyone who wouldn't value and continue that. It's not about the house, they can replace that.... it's about the property itself. Very special circumstance that needs a special buyer... and doesn't apply to a place in a subdivision in suburbia.
I think it often helps to pass along some kind of information the seller can use when considering each offer, some kind of image as to who our client is. Of course the considerations given should and in fact must be in line with equal housing laws.
Last edited by Diana Holbrook; 05-25-2020 at 10:59 AM..
I have had buyers write letters and sometimes it helps them win and other times not. Generally speaking, you can't overcome a low offer with a nice letter, but it can make the difference if the offers are close. I just had a client write a letter and he got back up position in multiple offers because of it. The first buyers backed out and he got the house. We closed on it two weeks ago.
So yes, money and logic generally prevail, but when things are close the letter can make the difference. I tell my clients not to go over the top though and I read them before I send them. I've asked clients to change things before.
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