Why Waiting for a ‘Better’ Offer Can Cost You Thousands: A Real Utah Seller’s Lesson

Why Waiting for a ‘Better’ Offer Can Cost You Thousands: A Real Utah Seller’s Lesson

If you’re planning to sell your home in Northern Utah — Salt Lake County, Weber, or Davis County — here’s a lesson you don’t want to learn the hard way:

Many sellers think: “If we got an offer this fast, surely a better one is right behind it!”

But sometimes the first serious offer is the best you’ll get — and waiting can cost you time, money, and stress.

And as we talked about in Time the Market: Why Utah Home Vibes Emphasizes Just Getting In, timing matters more than perfect conditions.

Here’s what happened to one real seller:

When Waiting Backfired

A few years ago, I helped a seller in Salt Lake County who got an offer the very first day their home hit the market.

It was $8,000 under asking, but I knew it was solid:
The buyer was qualified and ready.
The offer was fair for the market.
We had a strong chance to negotiate favorable terms.

But the seller felt certain: “If we got this so quickly, someone else will come along and pay more.”

I explained that a fast, fair offer often means the right buyer showed up at the perfect time — but they chose to wait.

The Cost of Waiting

What happened next?

They waited. Showings slowed down. Weeks turned into months.

Finally, after three more months, they accepted an offer $16,000 lower than the first offer they turned down.

That fast offer wasn’t a sign of underpricing — it was a sign that the perfect buyer was ready right then.

The Lesson for Smart Utah Sellers

A strong, quick offer can be a blessing — but only if you have an agent who knows how to read the situation and negotiate it properly.

Waiting “just to see” can cost you more than you think.

And as we covered in When an Agent Asks, ‘Is That Even Legal?’, working with a confident, strategic agent can make or break the outcome.

Selling in Salt Lake, Weber, or Davis?

If you’re thinking about selling soon, let’s build your strategy so you know exactly when to accept, when to negotiate, and how to avoid leaving money on the table.