Coming in second on a house doesn’t always mean the deal is over.
I’ve seen this play out enough times with our clients that I actually have a name for it.
I call it the boomerang offer.
Here’s what that usually looks like: the highest offer wins, everyone assumes the deal is done, and then a few days or weeks later, it falls apart. Financing issues, inspection surprises, cold feet — the reasons vary, but the outcome is the same. The seller is back at square one, and suddenly they’re calling the next best offer on the list.
That’s usually where my clients come back in.
I don’t push clients to stretch for the highest number just to “win” in the moment. I’d rather put together the strongest, most solid offer — one that’s realistic, well-supported, and actually likely to close. Sometimes that means we don’t get the house right away. But more often than you’d think, we get the call a little while later.
Winning the offer isn’t always about being first. Sometimes it’s about being the one still standing when the dust settles.
