How to respond to a low offer on your home (with scripts)

What is a fair way to respond to a low offer on your home? It starts with recognising that a low offer is not the end of the negotiation. It's often the start of one. But only if you respond strategically, not emotionally.

Most sellers read a number that's $80,000 below asking and feel somewhere between insulted and deflated. Both reactions are natural. Neither is useful. A low offer is just information: it tells you where the buyer thinks the property sits in the market, or at least where they'd like to start. What you do with that information determines the outcome.

Two things make this hard. First, most sellers can't tell whether the offer in front of them is a genuine attempt to buy or a time-wasting fishing expedition. Second, even when they know the offer deserves a response, they don't know what to say. This article solves both. You'll get a clear framework to evaluate what's in front of you, plus scripts you can send today.

How to tell if a low offer is genuine or just a test

The difference between a low offer and a bad-faith bid

In Australia, offers 10% or more below asking price are generally considered lowball territory. Anything in the 5% to 10% range is a normal negotiating position, not a personal slight. The number alone doesn't tell you whether the buyer is serious.

What does tell you is the behaviour around the offer. A genuine buyer usually has pre-approval in place, made the offer promptly after inspecting, and hasn't gone dark for weeks in between. They're motivated. The low number is a starting tactic, not a statement about how much they want the property.

What a bad-faith offer looks like

A bad-faith bid looks different. It arrives from a buyer who barely spent time at the inspection, comes with no conditions or supporting documentation, and often shows signs of being sent across multiple properties at once. These are speculative plays. The buyer is hoping a motivated seller takes the bait. Recognising that early means you don't waste negotiation energy on someone with no real intention of meeting you at a fair price.

Score the bid against real data before you react

Before you react to any number, check it against the market. What have comparable sales shown for properties in your suburb over the last 90 days? How far off is this offer from those benchmarks? If you're selling with helm, the offer scoring feature reads each incoming offer on its full terms, weighing price against the conditions, deposit and settlement attached, and returns a plain-language strength assessment. That gives you an objective read on the offer as a whole rather than a reaction to the headline figure. Do your own comparable-sales check alongside it and you take the emotion out of your response before you type a single word back.

What to check before you type a word back

Your asking price relative to comparable sales

Pull three to five recent sales of similar properties, same suburb, same size and configuration, sold within 90 days. If your asking price sits comfortably within that range, you have a strong position to push back. If it's sitting above the top of the comp range, the low offer may be less unreasonable than it first appears, and that's worth knowing before you respond.

How long the property has been on the market

Days on market matters more than most sellers realise. A property that's generated 30 enquiries in its first two weeks has real negotiating leverage. One that's been listed for 60-plus days does not. Buyers notice stale listings and factor that into their bids. Knowing your current market position honestly is essential before you decide whether to hold firm or show some flexibility.

Your actual walk-away number

Set your minimum acceptable price before you respond to anything, not after, and not mid-negotiation when emotions are running high. This is a number you keep to yourself. If the offer sits above that floor, there's a deal to be found. If it doesn't, the decision is already made for you, and you can respond with clarity rather than conflict.

Fair counteroffer strategies when you receive a low offer

Counter with a specific number and a clear reason. This is the most effective move in most situations. Counter below your asking price if you have room, or hold firm at it if the comps support you. Include one or two supporting reasons: recent comparable sales, a renovation you've completed or the level of enquiry the listing has received. Keep the justification short. A long explanation reads as defensive. A short, confident counter reads as measured.

Hold firm with market evidence. If your comparable data strongly supports the asking price, you don't have to move at all. Acknowledge the offer, restate your price and attach the evidence. This works best when your position is genuinely solid and you're not under time pressure to sell, though be aware that a flat refusal to negotiate can occasionally cause a motivated buyer to walk when a small concession might have closed the deal.

Counter on terms, not just price. Sometimes a buyer is stretched on finance but flexible elsewhere. Adjusting settlement timing, negotiating which fixtures are included or modifying deposit terms can unlock a deal without you giving ground on the number that matters most. This approach often resolves situations that appear stuck on price.

Reject cleanly and leave the door open. If the offer is well below your walk-away number, a polite rejection is the right call. Keep it brief. Thank the buyer, decline and leave one sentence signalling you're open to a revised offer. Don't burn the bridge. They may come back with something reasonable.

Negotiation scripts for sellers, use these right now

Email counter script (polite and firm)

The anatomy of a strong written counter is simple: open with a brief thanks, state clearly that you can't accept the current offer, give one reason grounded in market evidence, name your counter price directly and close with a clear next step. Brevity reads as confidence.

Subject: Re: Offer on Property Address

Hi Name,

Thanks for your interest in address and for submitting an offer. After reviewing recent comparable sales in the area, I'm not able to accept low offer amount. Based on those sales and current buyer enquiry, I'm countering at your counter price. If you'd like to proceed on that basis, please let me know by date.

Kind regards, Your name

Email rejection script (short and professional)

A clean rejection email should be four sentences at most. The goal is to thank the buyer, decline without over-explaining and leave the door open with a single sentence inviting a revised offer. Here's a version you can adapt in under a minute.

Subject: Re: Offer on Property Address

Hi Name,

Thanks for submitting an offer. After reviewing current market conditions, I'm not in a position to accept low offer amount. If you'd like to come back with a revised offer closer to the asking price, I'd be happy to consider it.

Kind regards, Your name

Phone response script (calm and direct)

When an offer comes in by phone, don't commit on the spot. Your first response should be: "Thanks for the call. I'd like to review the offer properly and come back to you in writing. I'll be in touch shortly." This buys you time to check the comps and set your number when you're calm, not reactive.

If you're ready to counter verbally, keep it simple: "I appreciate the offer, but based on comparable sales in the area, that's below where I can go. I'd be prepared to move forward at your counter price. Is there room to work with that?" Then stop talking. Don't fill the silence. Let the buyer respond.

The market evidence that makes your counter credible

How to pull and present comparable sales

A counter without evidence is just a number. A counter with evidence is a position. The strongest comparables sit within the same suburb, match the property on bedrooms, bathrooms and car spaces as well as land or building size, and sold within the last 90 days. Aim for three to five. A tight cluster of sale prices is far more persuasive than a wide range where the buyer can cherry-pick the low end. Be mindful that poorly matched comparables can mislead more than they help, so trustworthy comparables matter more than a long list.

The supporting metrics worth mentioning

Beyond raw comparable sales, a few contextual data points can strengthen your counter. Short days-on-market figures for similar listings signal demand. Local auction clearance rates, where relevant, speak to buyer competition in your area. Price-per-square-metre comparisons are useful when properties differ in size but are otherwise similar. You don't need all of these. One well-chosen metric can turn a counter into a fact-based position rather than a wish.

A brief note on legal timing and state variations

In Australia, the offer and acceptance process varies by state: offers are generally not binding until contracts are formally exchanged, though the detail differs by jurisdiction. A counteroffer legally replaces the original offer rather than accepting it, which affects how you sequence responses. Queensland has a standard five-business-day cooling-off period for residential contracts; Western Australia generally has none. Have a solicitor or conveyancer ready to move quickly once terms are agreed. Get legal advice before exchange, full stop, regardless of which state you're in.

When walking away is the right call

Signs the negotiation has no floor

Some buyers are never going to meet you at a reasonable price. If a buyer rejects a well-evidenced counter without explanation, continues submitting offers below your walk-away number or starts attaching excessive conditions to what should be a clean transaction, the deal isn't worth chasing. Time spent on the wrong buyer is time not spent finding the right one, and that's a real cost.

How to exit without closing the door permanently

The best negotiation decision you'll make is the one you make before any offer arrives: setting your walk-away number when you're calm, not when you're staring at a figure that's annoyed you. That decision, made in advance, means every response to an offer is grounded rather than reactive. Decide your floor now, before the next offer lands.

A low offer is just the opening move

So what is a fair way to respond to a low offer on your home? The answer is the same every time: evaluate it against real data, choose the right response strategy, use a clear script and keep your walk-away number in your back pocket. Most deals start somewhere below asking price. The ones that close are the ones where the seller responded with evidence, not emotion.

Once you've handled the opening offer, the full negotiation is where the rest of the value is won or lost. And if you're still weighing how to sell, this comparison may help: selling with an agent vs selling privately.

helm gives private sellers the structure and decision support to make the calls that matter, from listing creation through to evaluating offers and working a negotiation, on a flat fee with no commission.