Updated October 2026. Fair housing guidance and buyer agreement rules checked this month.
A real estate offer letter is your written offer to buy a home. As of October 2026, a strong one states 8 terms: price, earnest money, financing, contingencies, closing date, what stays with the house, who pays which costs and a response deadline. Skip the personal “love letter.” NAR warns those can create fair housing risk for the seller.
Jump to: 🏠 What it is · 🪜 What to include · 📸 Sample letter · 🤝 Love letters · ❓ FAQ
Key takeaways
- An offer letter sums up your terms. The signed purchase contract is what binds both sides.
- Eight terms do the work: price, deposit, financing, contingencies, closing date, inclusions, costs and deadline.
- NAR advises against buyer “love letters” because they can reveal race, religion or family status.
- Since August 17, 2024, buyers using an agent sign a written agreement before touring. Your offer can ask the seller to cover that agent.
What is an offer letter in real estate?
It’s the document that tells the seller what you’ll pay and on what terms. With an agent, it’s usually the state’s purchase contract form, filled in and signed, with a short cover note. Buying straight from an owner, it may start as a letter or email, then become a contract once you agree.
Know the difference. A letter that says “I’d like to offer $350,000” shows intent. A purchase agreement signed by both buyer and seller is what you can enforce. Don’t hand over a deposit on a letter alone. Our guide to the for sale by owner real estate contract shows what the final document needs.
There are two kinds of offers. A conditional offer has contingencies, like a home inspection or loan approval. A firm offer has none. Firm offers look stronger to sellers, but they put more risk on you.
What should a house offer letter include?
| Term | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer, seller and property | Full names, address and parcel number | Identifies exactly what you’re buying |
| Price | The dollar amount you’ll pay | The number the seller reads first |
| Earnest money | Amount, who holds it and when it’s due | Shows you’re serious; held in escrow |
| Financing | Cash or loan type, down payment, pre-approval letter | Tells the seller how likely you are to close |
| Contingencies | Inspection, appraisal and loan, each with a deadline | Your ways out if something goes wrong |
| Closing date | A target date and possession date | Must fit the seller’s move |
| Inclusions | Appliances, fixtures and anything else that stays | Avoids fights at the walk-through |
| Costs and credits | Who pays title, closing costs and your agent | Changes your net and the seller’s |
| Response deadline | Date and time the offer expires | Keeps the seller from shopping it |
Set short, clear deadlines for each contingency. A 10-day inspection window means something. “Subject to inspection” with no date doesn’t. Earnest money goes to a neutral party; our guide to how escrow works explains who holds it.
If you have an agent, say in the offer if you want the seller to pay that agent’s fee. Since August 17, 2024, buyers using an MLS agent sign a written agreement before touring. It states the fee, and it must say fees are fully negotiable and not set by law. Your offer can ask the seller to pay it, ask for a credit, or ask for nothing.
What does a sample offer letter look like?
Here’s a short version you can adapt. Fill in the brackets, then turn it into your state’s contract form once the seller agrees.
Dear [Seller name],
I’d like to buy [address, parcel number] for $[price]. I’ll put down $[amount] in earnest money with [escrow or title company] within [3] business days of acceptance.
I’m paying with [cash / a conventional loan with [X]% down]. My pre-approval letter is attached.
This offer depends on a home inspection within [10] days, an appraisal at or above the price, and loan approval within [21] days.
I’d like to close on or before [date]. The refrigerator, washer and dryer stay with the home. [Who pays which closing costs.]
This offer expires at [time] on [date]. Thank you for considering it.
[Your name, phone and email]
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Notice what isn’t there: your family, your faith or why you love the home. Price and terms win offers. They’re also what keeps the seller on the right side of fair housing law.
Should you write a love letter to the seller?
We’d skip it. NAR’s fair housing guidance says buyer love letters often reveal traits like race, religion or familial status. A seller could use that, on purpose or not, to accept or reject an offer. Doing so on those grounds would violate the Fair Housing Act.
The Fair Housing Act bars discrimination based on race or color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability. Some states protect more groups. Many listing agents now refuse to pass on love letters for this reason, and NAR’s “Love Letters or Liability Letters” article explains why.
If you want your offer to stand out, make it stronger instead:
- Attach a pre-approval, or proof of funds if you’re paying cash.
- Offer a larger earnest money deposit.
- Shorten your inspection and loan deadlines if you can.
- Be flexible on the closing or move-out date.
- Ask for fewer credits.
How do you write an offer on a FSBO home?
The same terms apply, but you’ll deal with the owner directly. Put everything in writing, ask for the seller’s disclosures, and use a title company or attorney to hold the deposit and close. Our guide to buying a house from an owner walks through it step by step, and buying a FSBO home with confidence covers the checks.
Buying and selling at the same time? Make your offer contingent on your sale only if you must, since sellers see it as weaker. See how to sell and buy at once.
Want help? Beycome’s buyer program has no upfront fee. When a seller offers buyer-agent compensation, Beycome keeps 1% of the price (minimum $1,499) and credits the rest to you at closing. On a $400,000 home with 3% offered, that’s $8,000 back. That 3% is only an example: commissions are not set by law or NAR rules and are negotiable, and the seller chooses whether to offer any. Since August 17, 2024, those offers can’t be shown on the MLS.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write an offer letter for a house?
State the price, earnest money, financing, contingencies with deadlines, closing date, what stays, who pays which costs and when the offer expires. Sign and date it.
Is an offer letter legally binding?
Usually not on its own. The purchase contract signed by both buyer and seller is what binds. Turn an accepted letter into that contract.
Should I include a personal letter with my offer?
We’d skip it. NAR warns love letters can reveal protected traits and create fair housing risk. Strengthen your terms instead.
How much earnest money should I offer?
It depends on your market and price. Ask the title company or your agent what’s typical locally, and make sure the contract says when you get it back.
Can I write an offer without a realtor?
Yes. Use your state’s purchase contract form or have an attorney draft one, and close through a title company or attorney.
Who pays my agent when I make an offer?
Your buyer agreement sets the fee. Your offer can ask the seller to pay it or give a credit, and the seller can agree, counter or decline.
Buyer program: no upfront fee. Beycome keeps 1% of the price, minimum $1,499; the rest of the buyer-agent compensation the seller offers is credited at closing, subject to lender approval. If the offer is below the minimum, the buyer covers the gap.
Commissions are not set by law or by NAR rules and are fully negotiable. Sellers choose whether to offer any buyer-agent compensation; since August 17, 2024, those offers can’t be shown on the MLS. Percentages here are examples only.
The sample letter is a starting point, not a contract. This is general information, not legal advice; contract rules vary by state.
Sources
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