How many times in my career have I heard agents say to another agent "Well, I would never present such a low offer to MY seller, " or "What an insult that offer is to my seller". As the listing agent, our obligation is to get the best price for the seller. That is true. In a declining market, the first offer is usually the best, as often learned the hard way by sellers who wished they had that offer they rejected 4 months ago. As listing agents we do our marketing and present the house to as wide an audience as possible, in the best light. Ultimately it will be the buyer who decides what they wish to pay for a home, and the seller whether to accept or not.
Presenting even "ridiculously low" offers can have its advantages.
First, the hand has not been played out at this point. One never knows what the buyers' real number is, nor the sellers. So getting them into a conversation can only be good.
Second, a situation of having multiple offers could occur to the sellers' advantage. Anyone who may have showed interest in the house could be alerted to the fact that there is an offer in on the property, and that buyer may just get off the fence.
Third, if enough low offers come in, it may tell the seller that just maybe they may be priced too high.
You do run the risk of the Seller being upset and insulted. But this is ultimately a business transaction, one that takes a buyer and a seller. I think that trying to protect a seller from such offers would be denying him of information that he has the right to know.
My dream as an agent is to never have to insult a seller, but I have a job to do.
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