BUYER STRATEGY | CEDAR & STONE REALTY GROUP | MAY 2026

What to Ask Before You Write a Single Offer

There's a step in the offer process that most buyers skip entirely — and it's one of the simplest, highest-leverage things you can do before you put a single number on paper.

Call the listing agent. Ask them a few honest questions. Then actually listen.

I know that sounds basic. But you'd be surprised how rarely it happens — and how much it changes the offer you end up writing.

Here's what I ask on behalf of my buyers before every offer, and why each question matters:

"What timeline works best for the seller?" Standard closing in Oregon is 30 days, but standard isn't always right. Some sellers need 21 days because they've already bought their next home. Some need 45 because they have kids finishing a school year. Asking this question costs nothing and often hands you a term you can tailor your offer around — one that makes you the obvious choice without spending an extra dollar.

"Has the seller received any other offers?" You may not get a direct answer, and that's fine. But how the listing agent responds tells you something. A quick, definitive "no, you're the first" is different from a careful "I can't speak to that." Read the room.

"Is there anything about the home the seller would want a buyer to know?" This one catches people off guard. Sometimes the answer is nothing. Sometimes the listing agent — if they're a good one — will share something genuinely useful: a disclosure item they want buyers to understand upfront, a repair the seller already has a bid on, a neighbor situation worth knowing about. You're not always going to get useful information here. But occasionally you'll get something that changes your whole approach.

"What does a smooth transaction look like for your client?" This is the one that really opens things up. Every seller has a situation. Some need certainty above everything else. Some need flexibility on the move-out date. Some are emotionally attached and want to feel good about who's buying. Asking this question — and listening carefully to the answer — is how you find out what the seller actually needs, which is the only way to write an offer that truly speaks to them.

A three-minute phone call before you write an offer. It's the most underused tool in a buyer's arsenal — and one of the first things I do on every single transaction.

— Stacey Cedar & Stone Realty Group | Serving the Portland Metro & Southwest Washington