Seller not responding to Questions or Offers (2024)

FAQs

Seller not responding to Questions or Offers? ›

While some sort of response is typical, there is nothing illegal or unethical if a seller does not respond. A seller may dismiss an offer altogether if they believe it to be unreasonable, incomplete, or otherwise not in their best interests.

There is a chance that getting no response signifies that your offer was too low to be considered seriously by the seller. On the other hand, if the seller is simply slow to respond, speak with your real estate agent to follow up with the seller's agent.

How Long Do They Have To Respond? Legally speaking, there isn't a time frame sellers must respond to your offer. However, it's an unspoken rule in the industry that sellers and/or the listing agents should respond within a few days, with 48 hours the norm.

In theory, there's no rule about how quickly a seller has to respond to purchase offers. You can take as long as you want before responding since there is no official time frame. However, the industry standard is to get back to interested buyers within 24 to 72 hours.

Assuming your agent tried to communicate, here are some (not all) possible reasons the listing agent has not responded: » The seller is negotiating with a different buyer, who may have offered over the listed price. » The listing agent has discounted your offer because they may not like an “as-is” offer.

So when you see what you like, go for it! “If a buyer knows what's out there and what they want, then they should make the offer right away,” says Chris West, a real estate broker and owner of Gustave White Sotheby's International Realty in Newport, RI. “You never know who else is interested, and you could miss out.”

“Sellers may take their time to choose which offer is best for them.” Another reason your offer might go unanswered is if it's too low. “If an offer is far from what a seller expected to receive, many times they won't respond at all,” says Parnes.

The typical response time for a seller after receiving an offer is 24-72 hours. However, it could take longer, depending on market conditions and other factors. Sellers want time to thoroughly review an offer's details, get feedback from their agent, and potentially wait to see if other competitive offers come in.

If a seller decides to go with a higher offer, she must communicate that to the original buyer immediately—and return any deposit presented with the initial offer. But here's another option: A seller could allow the original buyer to present a counteroffer. Granted, the buyer may not want to.

How do you know if your house offer is accepted? ›

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.

If the sellers are looking to maximize their profit potential in today's hot market, your low offer will likely be ignored. On the other hand, the sellers may be more receptive to taking less if they're facing a financial crunch, if the property was inherited or they've already closed on another home.

Acknowledge it's a low ball offer

Then consider what tactic could work best. One approach is to simply say that you're willing to negotiate, but that you need to hear a serious starting offer. Another is to counter-offer with a price that's slightly lower than your asking price – even just $1,000 below it.

There is nothing you can or should do. The seller either didn't receive the messages for whatever reason, or did and chose not to answer. Sellers have no obligation to answer questions, and you need to move on to another seller if that doesn't work for you.

The seller will have 3 days to reply. If no reply, then click the link to Ask ebay to step in. If the seller accepts the return, he is responsible for supplying a prepaid shipping label. Print out the label, affix it to the box, and make sure the carrier scans the label.

Once you've opened a request, the seller should respond to you within 3 business days. You can check on the request at any time to see the seller's replies and to find out what you need to do next.

Sellers may also decline an offer if they have specific terms or conditions that are not met by the offer, such as requested repairs, contingencies, or closing timelines.

Although a seller can change their mind and back out of an accepted offer on a house, there can be consequences for doing so. In most cases, there's a contractual clause that is intended to protect both buyers and sellers from situations where one party backs out of a sale.

If they're not responding, or they come back with a not-so-great counteroffer, cut to the chase. Make your maximum offer immediately and put it in writing. Then, if they still don't respond, start looking elsewhere. If the sellers have a change of heart later, they'll know how to find you.

The exception is for certain states, such as California, where an offer will be considered revoked if it's not signed by the seller and delivered back to the buyer by 5 P.M. on the third day after the buyer signs it. A buyer can enter a specific date into the agreement or keep the default of the third day.