Offer Strategy Calculator
Set an opening offer and a walk-away price from comparable sales, how long the property has been listed and the work it needs.
💼 Are you a real estate agent or broker? Send this calculator to your buyers on your own branded listing page — every enquiry comes straight to your WhatsApp. Create free agent page →The most expensive mistake in a negotiation is deciding your maximum while you are in it. Working out an opening offer and a ceiling beforehand, from evidence rather than from how much you like the kitchen, is what keeps a purchase rational.
This starts from what comparable properties actually sold for, adjusts for the work the property needs, and applies a discount reflecting how long it has been on the market — a listing that has sat for months has far less pricing power than one launched last week.
How the numbers are built
Start from what comparable properties actually sold for, not what they were asking. Deduct the cost of work the property needs, since that is money you will spend to reach the condition of the comparables. Then apply one percent for each full month on the market, capped at six, as a proxy for the seller weakening position.
Worked example
An asking price of 400,000 where comparables sold at 385,000 and the property needs 20,000 of work gives a base of 365,000. At 90 days listed, a 3% time discount brings the ceiling to 354,050 — about 45,950 below asking. Opening 5% under that puts the first offer at 336,348.
Sold prices, not asking prices
Comparables must be completed sales of genuinely similar properties on similar streets within the last six months. Asking prices reflect hope; only sold prices reflect what somebody paid. Where recent sold data is thin, widen the area before widening the time period.
Turn a calculation into an enquiry
Buyers who run these numbers are ready to talk. Give every listing its own page with your photo, phone and WhatsApp on it — leads land straight on your phone.
Create your free property pageFrequently asked questions
How far below asking should I open?
Far enough to leave room to move, close enough to be taken seriously. Five to ten percent below your ceiling is usual. An opening so low that it insults the seller frequently ends the conversation rather than starting it.
Does days on market really justify a discount?
It is evidence, not a rule. A long listing usually means the price is wrong, and a seller who has been waiting is more motivated. Check first that it has not simply been relisted to reset the counter.
Should I tell the agent my maximum?
Never. The agent acts for the seller and is obliged to pass on what you say. Give your offer and your reasoning, and keep the ceiling to yourself so it stays a limit rather than a target.