Submitting Impeccable Offers

Step 1: Provide All Disclosures & Docs to Your Clients for Signatures

Most listing agents will include helpful documents in the MLS like the seller's disclosure and supporting documents like the Lead Based Paint Disclosure (if built < 1978.) It's important to present and review all of these discosures and documents to your clients prior to making any offer as it helps them make as informed an offer as possible. When you provide these signed documents to the listing agent with your offer, you've communicated that you're organized and prepared.

• More Reading: What if the listing agent doesn't include any documents in the MLS?

Step 2: Write a Clean, Complete Contract

It's critical to understand every provision in the 1-4 Family and Condominium contracts (and to be able to explain them to your clients) as well as all common addenda. There are standard terms that experienced agents typically see in contracts and you'll want to include these standard terms (or be able to explain why you need a non-standard term.) These include high impact terms like the option period, option fee, and earnest money, but also include less impactful terms like the title review period or "shortages in area". Make sure to fill out the Agreement Between Brokers completely, including all information for the listing agent.

• More Reading: Contract Considerations When in Multiple Offers
• More Reading: Why should I use the listing agent's preferred title company?

Step 3: Prepare an Agent-to-Agent Cover Letter, a Buyer Offer Letter, and a Lender Pre-approval Letter

An Agent-to-Agent Cover Letter is missed by most agents. This is a letter that briefly goes over who you are and your qualifications, how you do business, and a bullet point that itemizes the important terms of your contract. Many agents do include Buyer Offer Letters, and for good reason. There is no downside to Buyer Offer Letters and potentially a good amount of upside. A pre-approval letter (from a local lender) is a no-brainer and your offer likely won't be considered at all without one.

• View a Sample Agent-to-Agent Cover Letter
• View a great Buyer Offer Letter
• More Reading: What if my buyer doesn't want to use a local lender?

Step 4: Merge All Documents Into a Single pdf (In Order) and Send a Detailed Email

After you have your offer documents prepared, it's important to merge all documents into a single pdf and to send a helpful and concise email to the listing agent. You can copy and paste most of the information from your Agent-to-Agent offer letter as your email. It's critical that you include the bulleted outline of your important offer terms. Why do we do this? Most agents are busy and simply forward your email to their clients. By merging all documents, you ensure that nothing is missed. You've now communicated to the listing agent and to their clients just how organized and great to work with you are.

• To Merge pdf Files: ilovepdf.com
• View a Sample Offer Package

Order of Documents:

1. Agent-to-Agent Offer Letter
2. Buyer Offer Letter
3. Pre-Approval Letter
4. Offer Contract + Addenda
5. Signed Sellers Disclosure Notice (and any other disclosures)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW & DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE OFFER PACKET

Step 5: Call & Text the Listing Agent

After you've sent your offer package to the listing agent via email, send the agent a text message letting them know so. All agents are busy and listing agents are often bombarded with communication from agents who don't have serious clients. Since you've already sent the offer package, the agent knows that they aren't wasting any time. The best way to build rapport with anyone is over the phone, so you always want to offer to jump on a call to discuss your offer. Make sure to ask when the sellers plan to review offers.

You never know how someone prefers to communicate, so you always want to call after you've emailed your offer (which shows you're serious) and you have texted them. You'll often catch the LA on the phone and you'll be able to build rapport, as well as gather insights that are impossible to get over text or email.

Step 6: Track Your Offer Using Mailtrack.io

Mailtrack.io is an incredible tool you can leverage when making an offer. You'll see when the listing agent opens your email and clicks on any links. You'll usually know when they forward your email to their clients as you'll see many email opens in a short period of time. After you see that the email has been opened, it's great to send another text to ask if they have any questions or would like to discuss anything. Your clients are likely excited (and maybe anxious) about the offer, so it's great to report to them that their offer has been opened, reviewed, and forwarded!