Counteroffer
A response to an offer that changes something and sends it back. Common changes are price, closing date, or which repairs the seller will make. A counteroffer rejects the original terms.
Your Room opens on showings and offers, with everything before the listing already ticked.
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See how it worksWhere this comes up in a sale, and what follows
- Host showings and open houses (comes before)
Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
A counter is a new offer, and it cancels the one it answers. The moment you counter, the buyer is free to walk, so the price you counter at is the price you are willing to lose them over.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
Offer $290,000. You counter $300,000. The buyer can accept, counter again, or leave; your counter ended their $290,000 offer.
| What you do with the $290,000 offer | Where that leaves it |
|---|---|
| Accept it as written | A contract, once both signatures are delivered |
| Counter at $300,000 | The $290,000 offer is gone; the buyer holds the decision now |
| Counter, then change your mind | You cannot go back to $290,000 unless the buyer offers it again |
A counter trades a sure offer for a better one that may not come.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That a counteroffer keeps the original offer alive as a fallback. It does not; a rejected counter leaves you with nothing signed.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
In your Room, this word explains itself where it appears.
Your Room defines counteroffer in the step you meet it in, beside the document or the date it belongs to. Free to set up, with an agent or on your own.
Organize my saleFree to set up. Pay once when you list: $89 or $189. 7-day refund.