8 tips to write a letter that will make you stand out to a seller
So, you found your dream home? YAY! Now to just convince the universe that you deserve it more than the other forty buyers willing to sell their soul, first-born, or dog in order to call this home their home. These 8 tips will help you navigate how to write a homebuyer’s letter to a seller and hopefully get your offer accepted instead of that other families.
Table of Contents
- Get personal
- Introduce yourself
- Create a connection
- Highlight the home
- Leave out remodeling plans
- Explain the bid, even if it’s low
- End with an attitude of gratitude
- Proofread
Get Personal
It’s time to crank up your most sentimental music, pour yourself a glass of wine, and let’s get personal!
Get out your favorite pen, yes, you read me right a pen as well as a piece of stationary! You want this letter to feel as authentic and genuine as possible. Before you get started, think about your tone. While no one is born knowing how to write homebuyer’s letter to a seller, I am here to help! Let’s take your house offer letter from drab to friendly and heartfelt.
Think creatively about how you address the letter. Your real estate agent (~cough cough~ hi!) should be able to get you the owners name. If the owner doesn’t wish to disclose this information, you can still make a connection with how you address them, like this start of this sample offer letter:
Dear owners of the amazing, rambler at the end of the lane
Introduce Yourself
At the end of the day sellers are people too so know you are writing to a fellow human with a heart, emotions, and a life of experiences (many of which happened in this home). Many sellers will view this process much like the passing of the a torch; whomever they sell to will keep that home fire burning. A house offer letter is your chance to show the real person behind your offer paperwork. There’s no better way to create a human connection than helping the seller visualize your life.
My name is Julie, and my partners name is Spencer. We have been trying to find our “forever home” for the last few years, and have fallen in love with yours. We think it’s the perfect place to raise a family. As soon as we pulled up, we could already see our golden retriever, Charlie, playing in the front yard with the kids on a blustery spring day.
Create a Connection
When you were viewing the house, did you notice the photos on the wall of children playing baseball? The same style of deck/porch as the home you grew up in? Make a connection by mentioning what you saw.
I couldn’t help but notice the photo in the office of the EHS Softball Team. My wife played three years of Varsity Softball and will be a Bulldog for life. Go Dogs!
Highlight the Home
If the seller(s) has lived in their home for years, odds are, they take pride in it. Even if you think it’s a fixer-upper, focus on the aspects that you love about the home. After all, who doesn’t like a compliment? In this sample offer letter, the buyer chooses a few things to point out.
We love to cook and have family over. The kitchen island would make large meal prep a breeze while still inviting the family to keep me company—I can just picture it holding our big Sunday family dinners. We also love the planter boxes you built! We love to grow fresh herbs to bring our dinners alive and would truly cherish having a space to plant them.
Our family enjoys gardening so naturally the first thing we noticed was your beautiful tulips and iris’s just starting to bloom. We could tell how carefully you’ve tended to every aspect of your home…
Leave Out Remodeling Plans
People are inherently protective of their homes, so be mindful of their feelings when crafting your letter. Odds are while you may be eager to replace the hand printed bath tiles, your remodeling plans will change (or destroy) something the seller has an emotional attachment to. Keep your #demoday plans to yourself and let the seller picture you enjoying the home the way they enjoyed it. *One exception: a true fixer upper! If the listing remarks feature “fixer upper,” “make it your own,” etc. then dream a little, but make sure to keep it positive!
Explain the Bid, Even if it is Low
Transitioning from emotion to numbers requires a special touch. Be honest, polite and respectful because you don’t want them to feel as though you’re making excuses for your bid. This is your opportunity to give your offer price context, so get to the point, but with kindness.
In this competitive market, there are very few homes to begin with so while we know we are offering XYZ above/below your price, we had to take a chance on an offer! We grew up in the valley and want our children to have that same opportunity; your home is everything we want for their childhood. We know you’re asking X, but we respectfully ask if you would consider Y. It’s the top of our budget range and truly is our highest and best offer.
I work as X, and my partner does Y. We have already have mortgage pre-approval and are flexible about the date for closing on the house. We want this to be a win-win for both families.
End With An Attitude of Gratitude
This is your closing argument and your last chance to weave in some flattery. Thank them and let them know you’re hoping to hear back from them.
Thanks so much for your time and consideration. We would be honored to live in the house that you’ve made into a beautiful home. We look forward to hearing back from you.
Did it work? If this sample offer letter does its job, and you have an accepted offer, it’s time to turn your mortgage pre-approval into a full-on home loan, get a home inspection, and continue making smart financial decisions as you approach closing.
Proofread Your Seller Letter
Their are grammar police every where and its with in your best interest to respect that (see! How painful was that sentence?!). To be safe, assume the seller is one of them.
Review your letter for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, paying close attention to sneaky mistakes spell check doesn’t always detect, such as they’re/their/there, your/you’re, and it’s/its. Want a pro tip? Finish writing your letter, do one short task, then come back to it and physically read it out loud. Now, if proofreading isn’t one of your strengths, that’s okay! Ask a friend or family member to review it for you (a little pizza and beer goes a long ways, right?). Approach the task with the same attention to detail you’d give a cover letter for a job. A well-written, mistake-free letter shows you care about making a good impression.
In Closing
While writing an engaging and personal letter that gets the recipient to lean your way may feel daunting, losing out on your dream home is even more daunting! Sometimes a well-crafted letter can be enough to sway the odds in your favor, especially if you do a great job convincing the seller you and your family love the home and are the best buyers. So good for you! You took the time to learn how to write a homebuyer’s letter to a seller!
As mentioned, the seller isn’t just a name on a page with dollar signs next to them. They are real emotion feeling, family having, people! The seller will likely have an emotional investment in the home, a well-written, heartfelt letter just might be enough to nudge a bidding war into your favor.