Judge it against your reserve, not against the calendar. Say: "Put it in writing with the buyer's conditions. If it's at or above my reserve I'll consider it seriously; if it's below, it goes to auction like everything else." A genuine strong offer welcomes scrutiny; a softening-up offer relies on the fear that auction day will be worse.
Why they're saying it
A low "early offer" a few days out from auction is often less about the offer and more about your mindset. A seller hoping for $1.1m who is shown $900k days before auction starts to recalibrate — so that on auction day, "market price" feels like a relief rather than a disappointment. The offer's job is to move your anchor, not to buy the house.
The test is simple: measure any early offer against the reserve you set from comparable sales, in writing, with the buyer's conditions attached. If it clears your number, it's worth real consideration. If it doesn't, it's information about one buyer — not a reason to lower your expectations for everyone.
What to say back
"Thanks — put it in writing with all the buyer's conditions. I set my reserve from the comparable sales, and that hasn't changed. If this clears it, great; if not, we proceed to auction as planned."
"If you're worried the property won't reach my reserve at auction, let's talk about why — the comparables or the campaign. I'd rather fix the strategy than lower the number a week out."
"I appreciate the heads-up. What's the buyer's reasoning for the number, and are they willing to bid on the day? If they're serious, the auction is the place to prove it."
Avoid these reactions
- Letting a lowball early offer quietly reset the reserve you set from the comparables.
- Accepting before auction out of fear, while the campaign still has interest building.
- Not asking for the offer and its conditions in writing before reacting to it.
This is exactly what Negotiately does — live
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