In an era of high demand and higher bids for homes, buyers who write warm personal letters to sellers often win the bidding war and buy the house they want. This is a growing trend that some realtors say ‘must’ be part of an offer if a buyer wants to have any hope of purchasing the property.
Many sellers seriously consider any personal letters they receive with offers when deciding to whom to sell their house. Most sellers care who buys their house and are happier to sell to someone who can clearly say why they love and want to buy the property. The letters have the greatest influence on sellers who have lived in their home for a long time and want to be sure the buyers will take care of it.
These letters explain why the buyer wants to purchase the home. Buyers often say what they like about the house and what their plans are for the property. Prospective purchasers even include pictures of themselves and their families in the letter, showing the seller who will be living in the house if they accept the letter writer’s bid.
In some cases, realtors’ clients have accepted offers that came with a sincere, authentic letter despite their offer being as much as $10,000 below other bids.
Buyer must be careful what they say in their letters to sellers. Buyers must ensure that they do not include anything in their letters that the seller might want to include as a legal condition of the transaction. A promise to maintain the property unchanged or not to sell before a certain amount of time has passed might be interpreted as part of the offer. Buyers may wish to check the contents of the letter with an experienced real estate lawyer to ensure that they are not committing themselves to something they may regret later.
