If your home has been on the market for a few weeks without an offer, your perspective may start to shift.

At first, you might have expected or hoped for a full price offer. But after a few weeks on the market without an offer, you may start to wonder:

1.  Is my list price too high?

2.  Will anyone make an offer at all?

Then, let's say you finally receive an offer -- but it’s $10K to $15K below your asking price.

Interestingly, the offer itself can boost your confidence. It might feel like confirmation that your price is right -- and that a buyer should be willing to pay it. That renewed optimism might lead you to dismiss the offer or avoid negotiating, holding out for something better.

But before making that call, I would encourage you to consider...

How confident are you that you will receive a better offer?

If your home is listed at $500K and you receive an offer of $485K or $490K after three weeks, it’s worth giving that offer serious consideration -- or trying to negotiate toward a middle ground.

Why? Because if three more weeks go by without a new offer, you may end up reducing your list price to that same $490K, or $485K -- or lower.

We might also evaluate...

Has showing activity slowed?

Are similar homes selling quickly -- or sitting?

What’s your timeline if no other offers come in soon?

Negotiation is normal in the current market -- and sometimes, the best offer you’ll get is the one already in hand.

So if you get a “pretty close but not full price” offer, think carefully:

Are you confident you’ll get something better -- or might this be the strongest offer you will receive and one that you should take seriously?