It can be one of the most frustrating moments as a buyer. You’ve taken the time to inspect a property, the agent has given you guidance on price, and you’ve put forward an offer that feels fair and reasonable. Instead of progress, you get a knock-back: either the seller has flat-out rejected your offer or counter-signed at a number well above where you thought the market sat. To make matters worse, you know there aren’t other offers on the table, and you suspect the property might be slightly overpriced. So why won’t the seller “meet the market”?
The answer is more human than it is transactional.
The Seller’s Perspective
Sellers don’t make decisions in a vacuum. For many, the number they are holding out for is already tied up in plans—paying off debt, buying their next home, helping family, or securing retirement. The figure isn’t just about bricks and mortar; it represents security and the next chapter of their lives.
When an offer comes in lower than their expectations, it doesn’t just feel like a business negotiation—it feels personal. They may see your offer not as a reflection of the market, but as a challenge to the value they’ve attached to their home and their future. That’s why an offer that seems “logical” to a buyer can be difficult, even painful, for a seller to accept.
Why Timing Matters
Once a property has been on the market for more than four weeks, buyers often see it as an opportunity to test with a lower offer. While that can feel like savvy buying, it can also backfire. Sellers can feel insulted by offers they perceive as “too low,” and this emotional response can actually push negotiations further away from where you’d like them to go.
The key is not just the number, but how it’s presented and contextualised. Has the seller received other offers? What were they like? Is there flexibility in other terms, like settlement time, deposit, or conditions—that could make your offer more appealing, even if the number isn’t quite where they hoped?
The Agent’s Role
A skilled agent is there to bridge the gap between market reality and seller expectation. At RE/MAX Elevate, we work hard from the very beginning to sit down with our owners and talk openly about where their property might sit in the current market. We’re not always spot on, but we tend to err on the side of caution, it’s better to be slightly under rather than a touch over. This gives us the best chance to generate strong competition and, in many cases, achieve results above expectations.
Of course, every now and then we get it wrong on the higher side. That’s where our role becomes less about marketing and more about guiding, showing sellers the feedback, comparable sales, and actual buyer interest to help them come to terms with where the market truly is.
A Buyer’s Takeaway
If you’re a buyer feeling deflated, remember that the seller is human. They may simply need time to emotionally adjust to a new understanding of their property’s value. Meeting the market isn’t always instant, it’s a process. Giving them grace, while also keeping the conversation open with the agent, can help keep negotiations moving in the right direction.
Ultimately, most sellers want to sell, and most buyers want to buy. The art lies in finding that middle ground, one that honours both the market’s reality and the seller’s humanity.
If you’re feeling unsure about how to approach negotiations, or you’d like some guidance on buying or selling in today’s market, I’m always here to help. Reach out for a chat—I’d love to talk it through with you.
📞 0458 912 906
📧 kathchown@remax.com.au
