Home sellers need to be advised in advance of the possibility of low offers and that they should be perceived as opportunities to try to work with prospective home buyers.

Paul,

Why get offended when you can say NO!    One of our sellers did get offended when the agent who brought in the offer and insisted on presenting the offer with me.  I tried to tell him, it was not a good idea.

The offer was lower than replacement value of the building.  Our seller was a well connected man in the real estate universe, and he took the offer crushed in into a ball and tossed it at the agent. Then he told him what an idiot he was, and he would not work in real estate again...that agent moved to SF and opened a coffee store.  A

I have been authorized to trash the offer below a certain price. When the agent tries to low ball the going rate I remind they will never get coop again from big brokerage.  Find some serious buyers.

I am in an area they are way more buyers than sellers. 

No, I take the brunt for them.  I'm irritated by the agent submitting low balls unless of course it's a handymans special.

No, they've been advised to celebrate ANY offer and only moan about those who couldn't be bothered to put something on paper!   Any offer, is better than none. 

Let them know when taking the listing that it is your job to show them any offers that come in. They don't have to accept them, but you as the agent have to show them every offer. I tend to joke and say I even have to show you a 5 dollar offer that comes in. 

After that I've never had an issue.

They don't get offended by price, but if they decide the offer is not a serious one, they might reject it, and also reject any other offers submitted by those potential buyers.

Paul S. Henderson, Realtor, Tacoma Washington - as long as we set the expectations right, the seller understands that buyers still want bargain in this market! 

I believe, it's how we present the offer to our sellers.

Paul S. Henderson, Realtor, Tacoma Washington Hopefully, I've educated them enough during the listing appointment to expect anything in an offer.

No, I always prepare them.  However, when presenting such an offer, I always prep the listing agent with warning of low offer and then reasons.  Not all listings are priced appropriately, so it happens. 

Hi Paul -- I guess that it is natural but I try to let them know upfront, that anything can happen when a property goes on the market for sale. Stuff happens...

What's worse than an offer less than the listing price?  No offer.   Let's keep things in perspective.

If the offer is really low, then yes. my sellers do get offended.

Some do, but I present all offers.  Besides, I have learned that most sellers have to see what a house can't sell for, before they can accept the price it can sell for.

Sometimes they do, but I always tell them the offer is just a starting point. What's important is how we respond to keep the negotiation going forward.

If buyers offer low ball offers in our crazy seller's market, they laugh, knowing they will see 5+ more great offers.