Getting Creative with Offers

Realtors® are seeing it all within the housing market these days.

Properties are generally lasting only days, if not hours, on the market before being snapped up, usually with several buyers offering above asking price with a few enticing clauses to try to persuade the seller to pick them. Some buyers are waiving inspections (not advised) or making cash offers, while others are getting a bit more creative with their incentives.

What about a case of Girl Scout cookies? PAR Past President Greg Herb, a Realtor® in Gilbertsville, had his clients throw in a case of Girl Scout cookies as part of their offer.

“Our market is about as crazy as anywhere, with buyers offering above listed price or paying both sides of the transfer tax,” said Herb. “By way of background, my buyers both work for nonprofits, the wife with Girl Scouts of America. After viewing the property on Saturday afternoon, they decided to write an offer which was due the following day on Sunday afternoon.”

The buyers included the below clause in their offer.

“It is hereby agreed and understood that within five days of the sellers’ acceptance of this Agreement of Sale, the buyer, at buyers’ expense shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the seller one full case of Girl Scout Cookies which will contain 12 full boxes of the most scrumptious cookies ever possessed by the seller. Cookies are not only delicious, they create girls of courage, confidence and character. At the sole discretion of the seller, the said case of cookies will contain a variety of flavors/types as directed by the seller. It will be the sellers’ responsibility to consume, give or otherwise donate said cookies at their pleasure.”

Herb’s clients presented one of nine offers submitted, and they ended up victorious.

“The sellers’ agent said her clients absolutely loved the clause, she said it made our agreement stand out, and asked if she also gets a box of cookies, which we gladly obliged. In my 41 years of practice, I never dreamt I would author such a clause that would be used in an Agreement of Sale. In this very serious business, one can still be professional, yet add a sense of humor or levity to an otherwise stressful time,” said Herb.

Al Perry, PAR treasurer and a Realtor® in Philadelphia, said he had an accomplished artist include an original piece of artwork as a gift to the seller with their offer. “They won the bid, so it surely didn’t hurt,” he said.

Not to be outdone, PAR President Chris Raad, a Realtor® in the Greater Lehigh Valley, had a client add in four Philadelphia Phillies suite tickets as part of his offer.

“The seller had Phillies memorabilia around the house, so we were hoping they would get excited for tickets,” he said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get the house.”

You can’t win them all, but a creative and humorous addition to the clause may just get your buyers their dream house.