What helm's offer score looks at
In short
The highest offer is not always the strongest one. How helm scores every offer out of 100 on price, conditions, deposit and settlement, what the score means, and what it does not do.
On this page
The four things every score weighsWhat the number meansComparing more than one offerWhat the score does not doThe highest offer is not always the strongest one. helm scores every offer made through it out of 100 and writes out why. Price is part of it. So are the conditions, the deposit and the settlement date. The score is a read on the offer, not a recommendation. You decide what to do with it.
This guide explains exactly what goes into that number, so you know what it is telling you and what it is not.
The four things every score weighs
Every offer is scored on the same four factors, in this order of weight.
| Factor | Share of the score | What helm looks at |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About half | Where the offer sits against the asking price or price guide on your listing |
| Conditions | About a quarter | Whether the offer is unconditional, and how many conditions it carries |
| Deposit | Smaller | The deposit as a percentage of the price |
| Settlement | Smallest | How many days until settlement |
If your listing shows no asking price or guide, helm compares the offer with an indicative third-party estimate where one exists. If there is none, price is left out and the score rests on the other three factors.
The score itself is fixed arithmetic, not an AI judgement. Because of that, two identical offers always get the same score, and a higher price never scores below a lower one when everything else is equal.
Price
An offer below the bottom of your guide scores lower the further below it sits. Across the guide it rises from the bottom to the top. Above the top it scores strongly, a little more for a bigger premium. A single asking price counts as the top of your expectation.
This is not a valuation. helm is not telling you what your home is worth, only where the offer sits against the price you put on the listing. Whether that price is the right one is your call.
Conditions
Each condition on an offer (subject to finance, subject to a building inspection, subject to the sale of the buyer's home) lowers the score, and several conditions compound. Our guide to conditional vs unconditional offers explains what each one means for you.
The score counts conditions; it does not read their fine print. A tight 14-day finance clause with a named lender and a loose one with no deadline count the same, which is why your conveyancer still reads the clauses before you sign anything.
Deposit
10% is treated as standard. A bigger deposit signals more commitment and scores higher, up to about 12.5%. Under 10% weakens an offer, and a very low deposit (around 2%) is a clear weakness.
Settlement
Six weeks (42 days) is treated as standard. A shorter settlement scores a little higher and a very long one scores lower. Whether a short settlement actually suits you depends on your own move, which the score cannot know.
What the number means
| Score | Label |
|---|---|
| 80 to 100 | Very Strong |
| 60 to 79 | Strong |
| 40 to 59 | Fair |
| 20 to 39 | Weak |
| 0 to 19 | Very Weak |
Alongside the number, helm's AI writes one plain-language sentence on the factors behind it, for example "A 10% deposit and a standard settlement help, but the price sits 5% below the top of the guide." The note explains the score. It never tells you to accept or reject.
Comparing more than one offer
When you have several live offers, helm lists them together, highest score first, and its AI adds a short comparison: the offer that reads as strongest on its terms is highlighted, with a one-line note on each. That comparison reads the offers' terms. It does not know your timing, your next purchase or how you feel about a particular buyer, and it is not advice to accept or reject any offer, so treat it as one input. Our guide to handling two offers at once covers the process side.
What the score does not do
- It does not value your home. It compares the offer to the price on your listing.
- It does not read the contract. Cooling-off waivers, sunset clauses, special conditions and the wording of each clause are for you and your conveyancer.
- It does not decide. Scores and notes are decision-support information only, as our terms set out. Accepting, rejecting, countering and negotiating are up to you.
- It does not talk to buyers. helm passes offers to you; it does not negotiate on your behalf.
For when an offer becomes binding and what to check before you reply, see you've received an offer, now what? and our FAQ on whether a buyer's offer is fair.
The offer score is decision-support information only. It is not legal, financial or real estate advice, and not a recommendation to accept or reject any offer.