Why Sellers Reject Good Offers (And How to Fix It Before It Happens)
You've done the hard yards. You've written the advert, run the open homes, fielded the calls, managed the anxious owners, and finally you've secured an offer.
Then the vendor takes one look at the number and the whole thing falls apart.
It's one of the most deflating experiences in this job. And the frustrating thing is that, by the time you're sitting at that table presenting the offer, your options are limited. The damage, if there is any, was usually done weeks earlier.
I want to revisit this topic today because I still hear about it constantly. Solid offers walking out the door. Vendors holding out for a number the market has already told them it won't pay. Let's talk about how to stop that happening — and what to try when you find yourself in the room with a vendor who won't budge.
The Moment Has Already Passed
Here's the uncomfortable truth: when a vendor refuses to negotiate on a reasonable offer, the real problem usually isn't the offer itself. It's the months of communication (or lack of it) that preceded it.
Our job, from the very first meeting, is to gently and consistently replace that emotional number with a market-based one. Not by beating them over the head with comparable sales, but by giving them a clear-eyed picture of what buyers are actually doing in the current environment.
When that groundwork is laid properly, an offer at market value doesn't feel like an insult. It feels like a predictable data point from a process they understood was going to unfold this way.
When it isn't laid — when we've been vague about price feedback, or overly optimistic about buyer interest, or skipped vendor meetings because things were quiet — that same offer lands like a slap.
Setting the Table at the Appraisal
The conversation about realistic price starts at the very first meeting - before the listing is signed, before the photos are taken, before anything. And it needs to be anchored in evidence, not sentiment.
Show vendors the comparable sales. Walk them through the numbers. Then (and this is important) give them room to hope for more, without letting that hope become an unspoken expectation that you'll have to manage later.
Something like:
"The recent sales in this area paint a picture around X to Y. That's our evidence base, and I have to appraise your home within that range. But I want you to know that I don't put a ceiling on what we can achieve — if there's a buyer out there who places a premium on this property, my job is to find them. What I can promise you is that we'll run the most effective marketing campaign we can and leave no stone unturned."
That framing does two things. It grounds them in reality, and it gives them a reason to trust you with the process. You're not dampening their spirits. You're being straight with them while keeping the door open.
Vendor Meetings: Non-Negotiable
I'll say this plainly: sending a written feedback report by email is not enough. It's better than nothing, but it is not the same thing as sitting across from someone and having a real conversation.
Face-to-face contact (or a video call) needs to happen ideally every week for the first month on the market. After that, every fortnight at the absolute minimum. This is where the expectation management actually happens. Where you can read the room, sense their anxiety, and help them recalibrate before a real offer arrives.
And when you're giving feedback, be honest. Not brutal, but honest. There's a difference between being encouraging and being misleading.
If twelve groups have been through and not one of them has booked a second viewing, say so. Then tell vendors what you're going to do about it.
"We've had twelve groups through, which is reasonable, but no one has made a second viewing request yet and no one is talking about numbers. That tells me either we haven't found the right buyer yet, or something in the presentation or pricing needs to shift. Here's what I'm going to change this week — and let's meet again after the next open home to see if it's made a difference."
That's a real conversation. It's not always comfortable, but it's the kind of communication that stops vendors being blindsided when the first offer comes in below their expectations.
Don't Let Buyer Interest Get Oversold
We've all done it. A buyer shows genuine enthusiasm — brings their parents back for a second look, asks detailed questions about the title — and we relay that to the vendor with a little too much energy. The vendor starts mentally spending the money. Then the buyer goes quiet, and suddenly we have to talk them off a ledge.
Interest is not an offer. Even a second viewing is not an offer. Keep calling it what it is.
"The buyers came back with family today, which is a good sign they're taking it seriously. I want to be upfront though — it's common for buyers to show real interest and still not proceed. I'll stay on top of them and make it as easy as possible to get to an offer. In the meantime, we need more viewings — one interested party is never enough."
That last line matters. It keeps vendors from putting all their eggs in one basket and losing perspective when that basket disappears.
Prepare Them for Every Scenario
Before any deadline or offer presentation, sit down with your vendors and run through what might happen. All of it. Not just the good outcome.
"Tomorrow there's a real possibility we get no offers. There's also a possibility we get one or more offers you won't like. And there's a possibility something works. I want to walk you through each scenario so you know exactly what I'll be recommending if we end up there."
The reason this matters so much is that it completely changes how vendors react when things don't go the way they hoped. If they've heard you say "we might get an offer you don't love, and if that happens, here's what I'd suggest" — then when that moment arrives, you're not delivering a shock. You're executing a plan you already agreed on.
When a vendor is caught off guard by a low offer, their defences go up instantly. When they were expecting this possibility, they can think clearly. That's when counter-signing becomes possible.
When You're Already in the Room
Sometimes — despite everything — you're sitting at the table, the vendor is offended by the offer, and you need something to say. Here are some phrases that tend to open the conversation back up rather than closing it down.
If they've been on the market for weeks without other offers:
"We've had X groups through and run X open homes. This is the first offer we've received. It's worth asking — where do you see a stronger buyer coming from, and how long are you prepared to wait?"
If they won't negotiate but might counter-sign:
"If this were cash and unconditional, what would you accept? Let's put that figure back to the buyers and see if we can move them. I'm happy to go back on your behalf."
If they're losing sight of holding costs:
"What does it cost you each week to stay on the market — mortgage, insurance, staging, rates? If we're here for another two months, that's money coming straight off your net proceeds. It's worth factoring into the decision."
And if all else fails, you can try calling their bluff:
"In that case, Mr & Mrs Seller, maybe you'd be better off renting your property out. Would you like me to arrange for our property manager to visit you?"
One thing I'd encourage you never to say: "This is the best offer you're going to get." You don't know that. A better offer might arrive next week. If you say it and then one does arrive, you've damaged your credibility permanently. Stay away from absolutes.
The Through Line
Getting offers accepted is mostly won or lost before the offer arrives. The vendor meetings you don't skip. The feedback you give honestly even when it's uncomfortable. The pre-offer conversation where you walk through every possible outcome.
All of that work creates a vendor who can think clearly when a real number lands on the table. One who trusts your read of the market and is willing to hear your recommendation — even if that recommendation is to counter-sign an offer they don't love.
The agents who consistently get over the line aren't necessarily the best negotiators in the room. They're the ones who have already done the work to make negotiation possible.
This is one small piece of a much bigger process.
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Good luck out there!
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Next Step?
Read our guide on using vendor review meetings to turn listings into sales:
Andrew Duncan
