Should You Write a Seller a Personal Letter?

By Realty Times Published May 5, 2021 03:51 pm

When the real estate market is booming, which it is in many parts of the country right now, you may find yourself in a bidding war. You have to act quickly if you want to have any hope of scoring the home of your dreams. One way to make your offer more attractive is to pay more for a home, but that’s not always an option.

There are other ways to make yourself stand out, one of which is writing a personal letter to the seller.

This has become increasingly popular in many markets around the country. Sellers often have a personal connection to their home, and getting a heartfelt letter explaining why their home would mean so much to you can make the difference in them accepting your offer.

You do have to be careful if you’re going to write a letter because it can also be off-putting in some cases. There’s a sense of balance to achieve if you go this route, and if you’re worried you won’t be able to write a genuine, heartfelt letter, you might want to look at different ways to increase the likelihood of your offer being accepted.

Don’t Use a Template

The most important thing you can do if you’re going to write a seller a letter is speak from your heart. If you’re fake or you use a template, you found online, this is probably going to backfire. Sellers are smart, discerning people and they’re going to realize something’s up if you’re trying to flatter or compliment them too much.

Try to Find a Connection

If at all possible, try to identify and highlight a connection you have with the seller. For example, maybe you have a shared hobby, or your families are similar as far as how many kids you have. You want to build some sort of personal bond if you can, but don’t push it if it’s not there.

There Are Times When a Letter’s Not Worth It

If the person selling a home is an investor or builder, you can probably skip the letter altogether. They want to make a profit, and they don’t have an emotional attachment to the property. You’re going to have to offer them more money or a fast closing to grab their attention.

Appreciate Their Work and Improvements

If you notice the sellers have done work in their home, like remodeling their kitchen, feel free to mention that. People put a lot of time, money, and work into their homes, and it feels good to know that other people notice that.

Even if you have some ideas in mind, don’t mention your own plans to remodel. It’s better for a seller to envision that you’ll enjoy the spaces like they did.

Don’t Be Desperate

If you come across as too needy or desperate, that’s not going to appeal to a seller. People like to feel positive emotions rather than negative ones. You don’t want to make a seller feel uncomfortable. You want to make them feel happy about passing their home onto people who will enjoy it the way they did.

Finally, keep it short and to the point. You want to convey why the house is meaningful to you and how you’ll use it, but you don’t have to go on page after page to make an effect.

Write a brief letter, and sum up all your key points in your final paragraph for a takeaway.

It’s not necessarily easy to write a personable and engaging letter to a seller, and it’s not the right path for everyone, but there are instances where it can make the difference in whether you get the home you want or not.