Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.
Why did our agent counter the offer?
Dear Phyllis,
We recently sold our home, but the experience was unsettling. We received three offers over the asking price. One offer was $ 100,000 over the other two, and our agent decided to counter that offer with what seemed like insignificant items, such as who escrow and title were to be with, and by reducing the days of the inspection contingency. The buyer did not sign the counteroffer, and it resulted in us accepting $100,000 less. Why did our agent counter the offer? I think we should have just accepted the offer and opened escrow.
JK
Dear JK,
I am a Realtor and not an attorney. I don’t think the buyer walked away because of the counteroffer. Instead, the timing suggests something else happened.
First, in multiple-offer situations, buyers often stretch beyond their comfort zone. They want to win. As a result, they may submit a price that looks strong on paper but does not hold up emotionally or financially. Then, once the pressure of the bidding war fades, reality sets in. That is when buyer’s remorse often appears.
Next, the items your agent countered—escrow, title, and inspection timelines—are typically minor terms. They do not usually cause a serious buyer to walk away from a home they truly want, especially when they have already offered $100,000 more than competing buyers. In most cases, a committed buyer will sign the counter or at least respond. Silence usually signals hesitation or second thoughts, not frustration over small details.
Also, even if you had accepted the original offer outright, the sale was not guaranteed. The buyer still had to deliver the earnest money deposit and open escrow. A buyer experiencing regret can simply fail to perform at that stage. In other words, acceptance alone does not lock in the transaction.
Finally, your agent may have been trying to strengthen your position. By tightening timelines or clarifying service providers, the goal is often to reduce risk and keep the transaction on track. While it feels like the counter caused the loss, it is more likely that the buyer was already backing away.
In short, the higher offer was probably never as solid as it appeared. The counteroffer did not create the problem, likely exposed it.
