Should You Wait for a Better Offer on Your Home? Key Tips for Bay Area Home Sellers
“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.”
— Napoleon Hill
It’s the question that often surfaces the moment a first offer hits your inbox: “Should I wait for a better one?” At face value, it’s a logical question. Maybe the offer came in quickly. Maybe the price is close but not quite where you hoped. Or maybe you’re wondering if something stronger is just around the corner. That pause—between receiving and responding—is one of the most important moments in the selling journey.
The reality is, the decision to accept, counter, or wait isn’t just about numbers. It’s about strategy, timing, and reading the market accurately. In many cases, that first offer can be your strongest one. The first weekend a home hits the market is when energy is at its peak. Buyers are fresh, engaged, and ready to act. That initial momentum is powerful. Waiting too long, however, can create unintended consequences. As a listing lingers, buyers start to ask questions: “Why hasn’t it sold?” “Is something wrong with it?” The perception of value can start to fade, even if nothing has changed about the home itself.
It’s also important to remember that a “better” offer isn’t always about price alone. An offer slightly below asking might come with incredibly favorable terms—like waived contingencies, flexible closing dates, or a strong financial profile. On the flip side, a higher offer might carry risk: financing challenges, long timelines, or inspection surprises. In today’s market, certainty has value. Clean, solid offers are often worth more in the long run than flashy numbers that fall apart in escrow.
Selling a home is emotional, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of “just one more weekend” or holding out for an elusive bidding war. But real estate works best when guided by data, not dreams. The best decisions are made by looking at recent comparable sales, studying buyer behavior in your price range, and assessing how long similar homes are sitting on the market. Sometimes, waiting might lead to a higher offer—but more often, the cost of waiting is subtle: reduced leverage, lost interest, or competing inventory that shifts the advantage to buyers.
Consider one recent example in Burlingame. A home received an offer within three days of hitting the market—just $10,000 under list price. It seemed early, and the sellers debated holding out. But the offer included no appraisal contingency, a short timeline, and a buyer with 40% down. After some analysis, the sellers accepted. That same weekend, two similar homes listed nearby. By the following week, those homes were still sitting, and one eventually sold for $40,000 less than expected. In this case, acting decisively saved time and protected value.
If you’re currently weighing an offer and asking yourself whether to wait, consider what’s truly at stake. Does the offer align with the market? Are the terms strong and clean? Is the buyer qualified and serious? Will turning it down risk losing the momentum your listing currently has?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but with the right guidance, sellers can make confident, well-informed choices that align with both their financial goals and their timelines. Accepting an offer doesn’t mean settling. It means knowing when the opportunity in front of you is the right one to take.
If you’re facing this decision now and feeling unsure, having a seasoned expert by your side makes all the difference. A skilled agent will help you weigh not just the price, but the story behind the offer—and what it could mean for your next move.
Ready to talk strategy? Call Lisa Lum at (650) 668-1868 or email lisa.lum@cbrealty.com. The right offer might already be here—it’s just a matter of knowing how to read it.