Era Key Realty Services-Bay State Group
Jeffrey Germagian, Era Key Realty Services-Bay State GroupPhone: (508) 395-0778
Email: [email protected]

Pros & Cons of Disclosing Multiple Offers on Your Home

by Jeffrey Germagian 12/19/2021

When selling a home, it’s not uncommon to get offers from multiple buyers. This is especially true in a hot market with low inventory. If you’re dealing with multiple offers, the question can arise about disclosing those offers. If you’re unclear about how and why to factor this into your negotiations, here is some basic info to help.

Why Disclose Multiple Offers?

There are two benefits to disclosing offers to other buyers:

  • It can encourage one buyer to increase their offer. Informing a buyer that there is another offer in play might result in a larger offer from another buyer.

  • Sometimes, counter offers include more than a price increase. A buyer might offer better terms to sweeten the deal, like waiving appraisal or inspection fees. This is where seller contingencies come into play. It’s also common for an updated offer to be a larger deposit, quicker closing or even covering the closing costs.

Why Not Disclose Multiple Offers?

While there are definite upsides to disclosing multiple offers, there can also be drawbacks:

  • Some buyers might be intimidated and walk away from the sale. Knowing that there are other, more competitive offers on the table could discourage them from pursuing the property.

  • Dealing with multiple offer disclosures can get confusing. The communication involved might get tricky and even stressful. Keeping track of which offers are available might turn into more of a hassle than you want in your selling process.

  • Disclosing offers can make the sale take a lot longer. Most home closings take a month or two, but if you’re dealing with multiple offers and counteroffers, disclosure could drag out the process. Each round of offers and counteroffers adds days to your total timeline, which can be especially inconvenient if you have a new purchase contingent on your current home sale closing.

Overall, consulting with a real estate professional will help you decide whether disclosing multiple offers is the right move. Weigh the options carefully to determine what will get you the best results.

About the Author
Author

Jeffrey Germagian

Dating back to the 1970s when his father put him in charge of the family real estate business, Jeffrey Germagian has built a longstanding portfolio of real estate transactions and developments. Along the way, he has grown the family’s original company, then known as Baystate Realty, to the elite status it represents today as ERA Key Realty Services.

Although we’ve expanded our real estate offerings and our branding has evolved to represent all of the real estate services that we provide, ERA Key Realty, The Baystate Group still holds true to the honest business practices and principles that Jeffrey’s father set out with decades ago.

Jeffrey manages the Baystate Group which specializes in traditional home resales, land development, and 55 communities.

He lives in Hopedale, MA, and serves the local towns in the area including most suburbs of Boston as well as southwest of Boston. He is a Certified Residential Specialist and is fully licensed as a real estate agent to practice throughout the entire state of Massachusetts.