You might be wondering whether it’s serious — or simply cheeky.
You may even be glancing sideways at your agent, questioning whether they are truly negotiating in your best interests.
Should you negotiate — or walk away?
Before reacting, it helps to understand who you may be dealing with.
Over time, I’ve observed four distinct types of buyers who tend to begin with low offers. Each requires a different response.
Understanding which one is sitting across the table changes everything.
For this buyer, negotiation is a sport.
They will test the waters — not because they don’t understand value, but because they feel compelled to see what happens if they ask.
Their opening number is rarely their real number.
Keep a level head and engage strategically.
With a Trier, progress matters more than pride. If the numbers are moving upward, you are making progress. A series of measured counteroffers can quickly reveal whether they are serious.
If their increases become token or they attempt to pressure you with artificial deadlines, you can set a clear boundary. Provide written instruction to your agent not to present offers below a defined figure (a round number just beneath your true minimum). This establishes a respectful threshold for further discussion.
Meanwhile, your agent should continue generating competing interest. Lengthy negotiations are not wasted time if momentum is building elsewhere.
The key here is composure. Triers often respect firmness once they realise you are steady.
Sometimes the offer is low not because the buyer is opportunistic, but because they lack familiarity with local values.
This is common with out-of-area purchasers.
The encouraging news? These buyers often have the financial capacity to meet the market. Their hesitation comes from uncertainty, not inability.
Education, diplomacy and patience are essential.
Provide relevant comparable sales. Demonstrate consistent local demand. Help them feel confident that paying market value is not reckless — it is informed.
Negotiations with this buyer may move more slowly, but they can absolutely reach alignment when they feel secure in their decision.
This buyer may well become your purchaser.
This buyer genuinely loves your home.
They love the suburb. They love the layout. They may even emotionally picture themselves living there.
But they simply cannot stretch to your required figure.
Their limit is real.
Clarify whether their ceiling is bank-imposed or self-imposed. Occasionally there is flexibility. Often there is not.
If the gap between their maximum and your minimum is immovable, it is appropriate to set a negotiation floor. Instruct your agent not to engage below a defined level.
If alignment is not possible, it is best to move forward without frustration. Not every interested party is a viable buyer.
This buyer is analytical.
They begin conservatively because they are assessing yield, capital growth, margin or development potential. Emotion does not drive their offer — numbers do.
However, not all investors are unrealistic. Many will pay fair market value if the asset aligns with their objectives.
Understand their purpose.
Are they holding long term?
Are they seeking a specific yield?
Are they purchasing strategically due to neighbouring ownership?
Are they renovating and reselling immediately?
If their numbers fundamentally cannot work at your level, no amount of persuasion will change that. But if there is strategic overlap, negotiation may be possible.
In certain circumstances — particularly if time or financial pressure is a factor — investor buyers can offer creative terms that create genuine win-win outcomes. Short settlements, unconditional offers, or lease-back arrangements can sometimes justify price flexibility.
Measured thinking is required here.
Don’t take low offers personally.
There is always a reason behind an opening position.
Avoid refusing to negotiate outright.
Doing so can prevent you from discovering a buyer’s true walk-away figure.
Avoid reactive counter-moves.
Negotiation works best when it remains measured and strategic.
And most importantly —
Don’t forget the goal.
The objective is not to “win” the first exchange. It is to sell well.
If every offer feels low, it may be worth asking whether the market is giving you information.
There’s nothing wrong with aiming high. But premium outcomes still require buyer alignment. If multiple buyers are clustering in the same range, that range is data. Sometimes it’s worth asking: Is there another way to achieve what I’m trying to achieve?
Progress in negotiation usually comes from understanding why a buyer has landed where they have — not from pushing back on the number alone.
Negotiation rewards composure and clarity.
Stay calm. Stay strategic. Adjust from evidence, not emotion.
If you would like guidance on navigating offers — low or otherwise — we are here to help.
Sell Well.