Selling your home? You can offer these concessions to help lure a buyer

Real Estate News admin October 14, 2026 0 Comments

Selling your home? You can offer these concessions to help lure a buyer

Your house is priced right, yet it’s still not selling. What to do?

Yours is a dilemma faced by thousands of sellers. Cutting your asking price is the last thing you want to do — and it’s also the last thing you should do. There are numerous other options to try first.

According to the latest data from Redfin, nearly 45% of sellers made some kind of concession to land a buyer in August.

The brokerage firm defines a concession as “something that helped reduce the buyer’s total cost of purchasing the home,” separate from lowering the asking price.

Redfin doesn’t list the specific concessions sellers offered, but here are some possibilities to consider:

Buydown: This is a popular concession because it reduces the buyer’s monthly payment, at least for a while. Here, the seller advances a sum of money to the buyer’s lender, which then reduces the buyer’s mortgage rate for a certain period, usually a year or two. After that, the rate bumps back up to what it would have been otherwise. The cost to the seller depends on the lender, but it’s often less than you would lose by lowering your price.

Closing costs: These can be expensive: roughly 4% to 5% of the selling price. Agree to pay some, or all, of the buyer’s fees. This not only substantially reduces the buyer’s bottom line, but it may also be a tax deduction for you as the seller. Check with a tax professional to be sure.

Recurring charges: Agree to pay the buyer’s property taxes until the next bill arrives. You are going to pay it up until closing day anyway, so why not just extend it? It will help offset the buyer’s costs for the first few months. The cost depends on the month the annual bill is dropped. If you close in September and the new bill comes in November, you’ll pick up only two extra months’ worth of taxes. But if you close in February, that’s nine extra months. Still, it could be better than a price cut.

HOA fees: Offering to pay for the buyer’s annual membership in the homeowners association could be compelling, especially if the fees are high and growing. Again, this helps ease the buyer’s transition to your house and neighborhood.

Cashback: Rather than dropping your price, offer to give the buyer cashback at closing. The amount is up to you, and it gives the buyer some flexibility. They can use the funds to reduce the balance of the mortgage, pay for their share of the closing costs or upgrade a few appliances. By avoiding a price cut, this option maintains the value of your property and nearby residences but still accomplishes your goal of bringing would-be buyers to your place.

Warranty: No doubt you are already offering a home warranty, which gives buyers peace of mind that if something fails — say, the HVAC system or the refrigerator — they’ll be protected. Almost every seller offers a one-year warranty, but you can do better by extending it a year or two longer.

Moving: Getting your goods from one place to another is very costly. It’s also extremely stressful — rated right up there with a divorce or the death of a loved one. To offset this, you can offer to pay the buyer’s moving expenses up to a certain amount. Or how about paying for a packing service? Or, if the closing is some months away, pay for a portable storage container that the buyer can pack at their own pace.

Timing: Some buyers want to move in as soon as possible; others want to take their time. So be as flexible as you can in choosing a settlement date. An accommodating seller is often a successful one.

Inclusions: Anything that is not permanently affixed to the floor, wall or ceiling does not transfer with the house unless stated in the listing. So you can take your drapes, your Persian rug and even your refrigerator when you move out. However, if the buyer wants something — say, your prized dining room chandelier — throw it in as part of the deal.

Buyouts: If your buyer is a tenant who can’t get out of their rental contract early, consider helping them pay off the lease, either in part or in full.

Inspection: In today’s market, almost every buyer hires an independent home inspector to give the house a once-over. You can make it a bit easier on your buyer by agreeing to pay the freight.

Repairs: If the buyer’s home inspector comes back with a laundry list of items in need of repair, don’t play hardball. As long as the list is fair, agree to set aside an amount at closing to cover the anticipated expenses. But set a limit. It’s one thing to be reasonable; it’s another to be taken advantage of.

Unusual: Creative offers bring in curious buyers. You may not be able to throw in a new Cadillac, but how about offering season tickets to a local sports team or theater? Can you cover a week’s stay at a coveted vacation rental? If you operate a local business, can you offer your services gratis for 12 months? Get creative.

Lew Sichelman has been covering real estate for more than 50 years. He is a regular contributor to numerous shelter magazines and housing and housing-finance industry publications. Readers can contact him at [email protected]