Signs Your Offer Will Be Accepted

Buying a home is both an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. After submitting an offer, the waiting game begins. You don't want to feel like you're constantly checking your phone for that important call, particularly if it's unclear how long you'll have to wait.

Understanding the Offer Process and Timeline

Understanding how the offer process and timelines work helps to manage expectations and avoid unnecessary pressure.

How Long Does It Take To Hear Back After Submitting an Offer?

The time it takes for your offer on a house to be accepted can vary based on your offer's terms and conditions. Some offers could be accepted in 24-48 hours; other offers might take more than a week to get a response from the seller. Generally, though, a seller's agent will take about one to three days to respond after you have made an offer.

Certain factors can influence the seller's response time and cause an unusual delay. Some states, such as California, allow buyers to limit how long the homeowner has to respond to an offer. Here's why the process can stretch beyond the expected period:

• Multiple offers to consider: If a seller has several offers, they may need extra time to analyze their options and make an informed decision. This situation is common in areas with high demand for houses.

• Busy or on vacation: If the seller is vacationing or has a tight schedule, they might take a little longer before responding to your offer.

• Looking for a better offer: You may wait longer if the homeowner is determined to sell their property at a specific price. 

• Foreclosed or bank-owned house: You should expect a much longer response time when dealing with a foreclosed or bank-owned house. It might take five days, a week, or even more than a month before you hear back. 

Strategies to Expedite Offer Acceptance

You can speed up the purchase process by including a time limit on your offer. This is a period of time where the offer remains open, and the seller is free to respond. The offer expires as soon as the time limit ends, and you must submit a new offer to continue with the process.

Tread carefully when setting a time limit. The buyer may feel rushed or frustrated with too short a time limit. However, too long of a limit can lead to the seller receiving many other offers. 

Signs Your Offer Will Be Accepted

Purchasing a home is a challenging decision. You're often torn between finding a perfect house and ensuring that your offer is accepted. Here are some signs your offer will be accepted on a house:

• The seller has a new house already: In this situation, chances are high that they will be more than ready to sell their current house quickly and take a reasonable offer.

• The house has overstayed in the market: If the house has been on the market for a while, the seller will likely agree to an offer and move to the other steps.

• The house is being sold "as is": Sellers are more likely to agree to an offer when selling their house "as is." This is because they aren't willing or able to conduct updates or repairs on the property.

• The seller is very responsive: If you find a responsive seller who communicates clearly, it might be a sign that they're committed to moving forward with the transaction. Such sellers communicate openly and make their expectations known early.

• A pre-approval letter: This is one of the clearest signs that the seller will accept your offer. A mortgage pre-approval demonstrates to the seller that you're qualified and serious, increasing the chances of your offer being accepted.

Navigating Negotiations and Counteroffers

What happens if a seller doesn't reject your offer? Ideally, you want the seller to accept your offer and move to the next stage. However, the seller might also choose to counter your offer.

In a counteroffer, the seller will propose a new price or change of terms. This usually means your offer was low, or they want to settle on an earlier closing date. You typically have about 72 hours to respond to the seller, but the official counteroffer will include a specific time frame. You can either decline or accept the counteroffer or submit another offer to the seller. 

The Offer to Closing Timeline

It takes approximately 30 to 45 days to close a house sale. Including the one to two weeks usually taken by the seller to consider an offer and counter it, the offer-to-closing timeline takes roughly two months. 

Factors such as home appraisal, negotiation, and home inspection can also affect the offer to closing time. Remember that the seller can accept the offer while the negotiations take place. You can also still negotiate with the seller even after signing a purchase offer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I gauge the likelihood of offer acceptance?

Several indicators show your offer will be accepted. Signs to look for include a highly responsive seller, if the time has stayed on the market for longer than usual, if the house is being sold "as is, "and if you have a pre-approved letter from the lender. 

2. What is the timeline from offer to closing?

It takes approximately two months from the time you place an offer to the closing process.

3. When will I know if my offer has been accepted?

You'll usually get a response from the seller in two to three days. However, the seller isn't obliged to respond if they have received multiple offers.

4. What next after rejection?

If your offer is rejected, reevaluate the messaging conveyed by your offer. You may have inadvertently sent the wrong signals to the seller. You should also check whether you met all the seller-required terms and make any necessary changes. 

Bottom Line

Looking for a house to buy can be a frustrating and exciting experience. You should work closely with a real estate agent for proper guidance and support for the best possible outcome.

Redy is an innovative platform that connects home sellers with qualified real estate agents. We make finding the right agent easy by allowing homeowners to receive proposals from motivated local agents who want to sell their houses. Create your free account today to find the right real estate agent for you!

To learn more about selling your home, visit our Home Seller Resources >