How to Decide Which Offer to Accept When Selling Your Home

When evaluating offers on your home, price matters of course. But it's rarely the only thing that does. When selling a home in Oregon, you should weigh earnest money, financing strength, contingencies, and closing timeline alongside the offer price, because a lower number with cleaner terms can easily outperform a higher number with a lot of risk attached. The right offer is the one that actually closes and sets your next move up well.

I've been working with sellers in the Portland metro since 2017, and I've been part of more than 80 transactions. Multiple-offer situations come up more than people expect, especially in competitive markets like Lake Oswego, the close-in eastside, and parts of Southwest Portland. And when sellers find themselves choosing between offers, the decision is almost never as simple as picking the highest number.

Here's how I walk my clients through it.

Does the offer price reflect what the market actually says?

Before you list, I prepare a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). This is a detailed look at recent sales of comparable homes in your area, accounting for size, condition, and location. That same data is available to every buyer's agent, which means both sides of the table are working from the same market reality.

When an offer comes in, the CMA work lets us know immediately whether the offer number reflects what comparable homes have actually sold for or misses it.

What does the earnest money tell you about the buyer?

Earnest money is the good-faith deposit a buyer puts down when their offer is accepted. In Oregon, that's typically around 1% of the purchase price. It's one of the first things I look at when reviewing an offer with a client, because it says something real about how committed this buyer is and how much they stand to lose if they walk away without a valid reason.

A higher deposit doesn't guarantee the deal closes. But it's a meaningful indicator, and in a situation where you're choosing between two otherwise similar offers, it can be the difference.

How strong is the financing, really?

Not all pre-approvals are the same, and the differences matter. I look at who the lender is, what loan type the buyer is using, and whether the pre-approval letter reflects a thorough underwriting review or a quick estimate. A buyer with a solid pre-approval from a credible lender is a meaningfully safer bet than one with vague financing and enthusiasm.

Cash offers simplify things — no lender, no bank appraisal requirement, fewer moving parts. But they're not always the highest number, and depending on your situation, the simplicity may or may not be worth a price difference.

What do the contingencies actually mean for your risk?

A contingency is a condition the buyer needs to meet for the sale to move forward. The most common ones are the inspection contingency, the financing contingency, and the appraisal contingency. Fewer contingencies generally means less risk of the deal falling apart — but it's not that black and white.

An offer with no inspection contingency might look cleaner, but it also means the buyer has waived certain protections, which can create its own friction. This is where your agent's experience matters most. I'll walk you through what each contingency means in practical terms, not just whether it's there or not.

Does the closing timeline work with your next move?

This one gets overlooked, and it shouldn't. When you accept an offer, a clock starts. If you're already in contract on your next home, your closing dates need to line up — or be close enough to manage. If you haven't found your next place yet, a longer timeline might actually serve you better.

One tool worth knowing about: a rent-back agreement. That's when you sell your home, the buyer takes ownership at closing, and you stay on as a renter for a defined period — usually a few weeks to a couple of months. Not every buyer will agree to it, but I negotiate these regularly, and in the right situation they take an enormous amount of pressure off the timing.

And when an offer is close but not quite right, you don't have to accept or reject it outright. A counteroffer opens a dialogue, and good negotiation is about finding terms that work for both sides — not about being adversarial.