Buyer love letters do work, especially with properties that have been in a family for a long time. For those homes, whip out the pen and paper and write a love letter to go along with your best offer.

 

Letters should keep in mind the seller’s likely strong attachment to the home, reveal what the potential buyers really love about it and avoid any descriptions of plans to radically change the home, says Tanisha Carlile, an assistant to Red Oak agent Deidre Joyner.

 

The offer really starts at the open house, when sellers (if present) and their agent make note of who comes by. When the offer comes through later, they will likely connect buyers to that visit. Since the agent holding the open house will likely remember you, make sure to leave a good impression.

 

So, be careful about discussing major renovations at the open house where the listing agent or seller could overhear. As mentioned above, some sellers have deep emotional attachments to their homes and don’t want to picture them gutted.

 

In short, be strategic and professional. You may end up writing an offer on the house.

 

If financing is required, buyers should consider getting a preapproval letter from a local, reputable mortgage broker as opposed to a national or online lender.

 

Agents are a savvy bunch and many have relationships with the best local lenders; if they recognize a good and competent local lender connected to an offer, it enhances the offer’s appeal, as it minimizes the headaches that can come from financing issues.

 

Local lenders also typically have one point of contact, which can help navigate thorny financing issues that may crop up.

 

As Red Oak agent Cordula Didier points out, national lenders often don't have appraisal management centers that know the East Bay on a hyperlocal basis. They may consider an appraiser from Walnut Creek as local, but that person may not know there's a Golden Gate Bridge view behind the wall of fog from that Berkeley Hills home if they visit in the morning, or know that homes east of San Pablo Avenue sell differently than west of it.

 

Cordula likes to have her clients get their loans fully underwritten (just contingent on lender’s review of title and insurability) before making an offer. With a fair number of homes in the East Bay going for all-cash, buyers who streamline their financing, increase the odds of their offer succeeding.

 

It's important that buyer’s agents be on the listing agent's radar from the start. This means that buyers must choose their agent carefully, one who has a good professional reputation. Shepherding a property to a close takes persistence, skill, goodwill and effort.

 

If the listing agent knows that the buyer’s agent bringing them an offer can get the job done, it adds to the offer’s appeal.

 

A good buyer’s agent will introduce his or herself to the listing agent, if they don’t know each other. Bottomline, you want your agent representing you and your offer in a highly professional manner.

 

“Writing ‘winning’ offers is not just about the clients, it’s about knowing the agent and their style,” Cordula says. Some prefer face-to-face communication and paperwork; others prefer an all-digital interaction. Matching to their communication preference puts the offer in the best light.

 

Because the competitive East Bay real estate market requires speed, buyers often must sweeten their offer by not including inspection contingencies. This is a useful strategy, but a tricky one that requires careful due diligence ahead of time by buyers and their agent.

 

Study disclosures, follow up with any red flags or questions in the home's disclosure packet, big and small. For example: search the permitting database of the city the home resides in for any permitted work, study fault line maps online, call the home inspector or engineer about questions in seller’s disclosure packet, send questions to sellers through the listing agent, look up crime mapping and your exact commute options with times you'd use them, walk the neighborhood on a Saturday night if you suspect it may be busy or sketchy. Meet the neighbors.

 

In short, be fast, smart and thorough (a tricky combination) before deciding to make an inspection contingency-free offer.

 

You want your buyer’s agent to represent you as a well-informed buyer who is making a serious offer and won’t get cold feet as a purchase contract heads toward a close. Doing some of the due diligence listed above and having the buyer’s agent relay that to the listing agent, helps give the sellers and their agent confidence that they have a serious buyer on the line who won't get cold feet.

 

This kind of thoroughness impresses listing agents and sellers alike.

 

Having a “finished” package, in which the listing agent has all the information she needs up front, is critical, says Red Oak agent Negar Souza. She should have no questions left unanswered about the buyer, the buyer’s agent, the lender or any other part of the presented offer.

 

Like many things in life, presenting an offer in person is best. A good buyer’s agent will make this effort. If that won’t work for some reason, a phone presentation is next best.

 

Have any questions about writing a great offer for an East Bay home, contact us!