If Youre a Buyer, Is Offering Asking Price Enough?

In todays real estate market, buyers shouldnt shop for a home with the expectation theyll be able to negotiate a lower sales price. In a typical housing market, buyers try to determine how much less than the asking price they can offer and still get the home. From there, the buyer and seller typically negotiate and agree on a revised price somewhere in the middle.

Things Are Different Today

Todays housing market is anything but normal. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), homes today are:

• Receiving an average of 3.8 offers
• Selling in just 17 days

Homes selling quickly and receiving multiple offers highlights how competitive the housing market is right now. This is due, in large part, to the low supply of homes for sale. Low supply and high demand mean homes often sell for more than theasking price. In some cases, they sell for a lot more.Selma Hepp, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, explains how these stats can impact buyers:

The imbalance between robust demand and dismal availability of for-sale homes has led to a continual bidding over asking prices, which reached record levels in recent months. Now, almost 6 in 10 homes listed are selling over the asking price.

You May Need To Rethink How You Look at a Homes Asking Price

What does that mean for you? If youve found your dream home, you need to be realistic about todays housing market and how that impacts the offer youll make. Offering below or even at a homes asking price may not cut it. In todays market, the highest bidder often wins the home, much like at an auction.

Currently, the asking price is often the floor of the negotiation rather than the ceiling. If you really love a home, it may ultimately sell for more than the sellers are asking. Thats important to keep in mind as you work with your agent to craft an offer.

Understand An Appraisal Gap Can Happen

Because of todays home price appreciation and the auction-like atmosphere in the selling process, appraisal gaps the gap between the price of your contract and theappraisalfor the house are more frequent.

According to data fromCoreLogic:

Beginning in January 2020, nationally, 7% of purchase transactions had a contract price above the appraisal, but by May 2021, the frequency had increased to 19% of purchase transactions.

When this happens, your lender wont loan you more than the homes appraised value, and the seller may ask you to make up the difference out of pocket. Buyers in todays market need to be prepared for this possibility. Know your budget, know what you can afford, and work with a trusted advisor who can offer expert advice along the way.

Bottom Line

Bidding wars and todays auction-like atmosphere mean buyers need to rethink how they look at the asking price of a home. Lets connect so you have a trusted real estate professional who can advise you on the current market and help determine what the market value is on your dream home.