My answer is they can… Sometimes!
There’s no guarantee a seller will read your letter and there’s no guarantee it’ll influence their decision. But in my experience, it doesn’t hurt to try.
I had a client who was house hunting in a very competitive market. We submitted several strong offers. She was well qualified, wasn’t asking for concessions. Even so, a few offers were declined. At the end of the day, the seller chooses the offer they want and every seller has different priorities.
Then we found a home she absolutely loved. We submitted an offer and learned another buyer had offered more. My client went back and submitted her highest and best offer, but she was still below the competing offer.
I suggested she write a letter to the seller explaining why she loved the home and what it meant to her. The seller connected with her story, appreciated the letter and chose her offer over the higher one.
I’m not saying this happens every time! Absolutely not.
A lot depends on the seller’s objective. Have they lived in the home for a long time and raised their family there? Do they feel emotionally attached to the property and care who will own it next? Or are they an investor who renovated it to sell and is simply focused on the strongest financial offer? Every situation is different.
I had another transaction where my client’s offer was accepted, I don’t know if it was because of the letter. But the seller later mentioned how much she appreciated receiving a letter. She said it was thoughtful and personal and it stood out. Because she had sold various homes and never had received one before.
Sometimes there’s an emotional side to selling a home and sometimes there isn’t.
So why not give it a go? You never know until you try.
A while ago someone told me this and it stuck with me – YOU MISS 100% OF THE SHOTS YOU DON’T TAKE!
