I’m a Real Estate Agent: 5 Concessions You Should Never Make To Sell Your Home
Written by
Laura Bogart
Edited by
Kristen Mae
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The process of closing on a house sale can feel like an intricate dance between the buyer and seller. They glide around each other with offers and counteroffers, making flying leaps of requests and concessions — not exactly to bring down the house (with applause, that is), but to complete the sale of the house.
That is an ideal performance. However, buyer requests don’t always get rave reviews. Sometimes, a prospective buyer may ask a lot of a seller, demanding concessions that will cost significant time and money. But how can a seller tell if these concessions are reasonable, or whether it’s time to call “curtains” on the deal?
GOBankingRates talked to real estate experts to identify five concessions you should never make to sell your home.
1. Accepting Low Offers Before Full Market Exposure
As a real estate agent and advisor with Engel & Völkers Atlanta, Sarah A. Strohschein is used to helping clients maximize their negotiating power. One surefire way to weaken that power is to accept an early or below-market offer before giving your home full exposure — meaning professional marketing, active showings and time for buyer competition.
Strohschein said accepting an offer too soon often results in leaving substantial money on the table. However, she added, it depends on what matters most to the seller.
“If avoiding the hassle of showings or navigating a quick life transition is the priority, there can be value in accepting a clean, early offer,” she said. “The key is to evaluate the trade-off with intention — not urgency.”
2. Covering Buyer Agent Commissions Without a Clear Strategy
Strohschein acknowledges that norms are shifting when it comes to compensating the buyer’s broker. Still, she advises against automatically agreeing to cover your buyer’s agent fee without evaluating the full offer.
“Every transaction is different, and concessions should be based on the overall strength of the deal — not assumed or automatic,” she said.
While she prepares her clients to potentially cover the commission — especially when buyers are struggling to afford closing costs — she wants them to approach this request strategically, and not just go along to get along.
3. Over-Accommodating Repair Requests
It’s reasonable to expect that you’ll have to make some repairs after your home’s inspection. However, Pat Roach, president and managing broker for Southwestern Real Estate, said some buyers can take advantage by requesting that you repair everything that shows up on a home inspection report — or demand credits in lieu of repairs.
He recommends pushing back on requests that are cosmetic or already reflected in the listing price. Instead, focus on addressing issues related to health, safety or structure.
4. Using Buyer Credits as Enticements
Some sellers are so eager to close that they offer credits to encourage buyers to get the home under contract faster. Roach has even seen sellers offer a $2,000 closing credit in their listing details to finalize the deal before the end of the month.
He’s blunt in his assessment of this move: It’s a bad idea.
“An offer like this suggests the seller is desperate to sell quickly. A savvy agent would advise their buyer to make a lower offer than they normally might,” he said.
5. Dropping the Price Too Quickly
If your home doesn’t zip off the market quickly, panic can set in — and that panic might drive you to do something rash, like slash the price prematurely. Roach warns that this “panic pricing” not only gives away your leverage, it can also create the impression that something could be wrong with the home.
His advice? Adjust the pricing based on data and feedback — not emotion.
“I tell my sellers that we should not reduce the price for at least the first three weekends if we are getting good feedback but no offers,” he said. “Some of those buyers will attempt to get other properties and fail and may circle back to our listing as a consolation. On the other hand, if we’ve had 15 showings and the feedback isn’t good, you probably do need a price reduction and shouldn’t wait to make it.”
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