How To Make A Winning Offer When Buying A Home Seattle, WA

Writing a Competitive Offer in Seattle: How Buyers Stand Out Without Overpaying

In the Seattle home buying process, writing a winning offer when buying a home in Seattle requires understanding seller priorities, not just price. In a typical housing market, buyers try to determine how much less than the asking price they can offer and still secure the home. When buying a home in Seattle, however, sellers often evaluate offers differently, and writing a winning offer is less about negotiating downward and more about presenting strong terms that align with seller expectations in the Seattle market.

I’m Emily Cressey, a Seattle real estate broker with HomePro Associates, and I help buyers navigate offer strategy throughout the Seattle home buying process.

How To Get Your Offer Accepted On A House In the Seattle, WA Area — *The market IS competitive, but there are still things you can do to get a winning offer when buying a home in Seattle.*

What Today’s Market Means for Buying a Home in Seattle

Today’s housing market is anything but normal. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), homes today are:

Receiving an average of 3.8 offers
Selling in just 17 days at the national level. Here in King County and Snohomish County, homes are selling in just 5-6 days on average.

Homes selling quickly and receiving multiple offers highlights how competitive the housing market is right now. This is due, in large part, to the low supply of homes for sale. Low supply and high demand mean homes often sell for more than the asking price. In some cases, they sell for a lot more. Selma Hepp, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, explains how these stats can impact buyers:

“The imbalance between robust demand and dismal availability of for-sale homes has led to a continual bidding over asking prices, which reached record levels in recent months. Now, almost 6 in 10 homes listed are selling over the asking price.”

Why Asking Price Matters When Writing a Winning Offer in Seattle

What does that mean for you? If you’ve found your dream home, you need to be realistic about today’s housing market and how that impacts the offer you’ll make. Offering below or even at a home’s asking price may not cut it. In today’s market, the highest bidder often wins the home, much like at an auction.

Currently, the asking price is often the floor of the negotiation rather than the ceiling. If you really love a home, it may ultimately sell for more than the sellers are asking. That’s important to keep in mind as you work with your agent to craft an offer.

How to Price Your Offer: 3 Steps to Make a Smart Bid — This video explains what it really takes to make a **winning offer when buying a home in Seattle**, including why asking price often acts as a starting point rather than the final number in today’s market.

Understand An Appraisal Gap Can Happen

Because of today’s home price appreciation and the auction-like atmosphere in the selling process, appraisal gaps – the gap between the price of your contract and the appraisal for the house – are more frequent.

According to data from CoreLogic:

“Beginning in January 2020, nationally, 7% of purchase transactions had a contract price above the appraisal, but by May 2021, the frequency had increased to 19% of purchase transactions.”

When this happens, your lender won’t loan you more than the home’s appraised value, and the seller may ask you to make up the difference out of pocket. Buyers in today’s market need to be prepared for this possibility. Know your budget, know what you can afford, and work with a trusted advisor who can offer expert advice along the way.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Seattle Buying Process

What does it mean to write a winning offer when buying a home in Seattle?

Writing a winning offer means structuring your terms, pricing, and strategy to appeal to sellers in a competitive market. In Seattle, this often involves balancing price with certainty, thoughtful terms, and timing rather than focusing on price alone.

How much should I offer above asking price in Seattle?

There is no fixed rule for offering above asking price. It depends on the home’s value, competition level, neighborhood trends, and how comfortable you are with price escalation. A strategic offer considers market context and your financial comfort.

Are escalation clauses helpful when buying a home in Seattle?

Escalation clauses can be useful in competitive situations to stay in range of other offers without overbidding initially. However, they are not appropriate in every scenario. Understanding how they work and their potential risks helps you decide when to use them.

Should I waive contingencies to make my offer more competitive?

Waiving contingencies can make an offer feel stronger to sellers, but it also increases risk for buyers. Whether to waive contingencies depends on the property condition, financing, and your risk tolerance. Always discuss these decisions with your agent.

How do inspections affect offer competitiveness?

Inspections provide critical protection but can sometimes make offers feel less attractive if timelines are lengthy. There are strategies, like shortened inspection periods or pre-inspections, that help balance protection with competitiveness.

Does a higher earnest money deposit make my offer stronger?

A higher earnest money deposit can signal seriousness and financial strength to a seller. It does not change the purchase price but may help your offer feel cleaner and more committed in a competitive environment.

Bottom Line

Bidding wars and today’s auction-like atmosphere mean buyers need to rethink how they look at the asking price of a home. Let’s connect so you have a trusted real estate professional who can advise you on the current market and help determine what the market value is on your dream home.

Zillow Zestimate — I’m Emily Cressey – a local real estate broker and Shoreline Native! I can give you a more detailed estimate of your home’s value than Zillow can. Fill out the form below and I will put some numbers together for you.

Fun things to do with kids in Seattle, Washington or shoreline Washington — I’m Emily Cressey – a local real estate broker and Shoreline Native! I can give you a more detailed estimate of your home’s value than Zillow can. Fill out the form below and I will put some numbers together for you.

This article is part of The Seattle Buying Process: Step-by-Step Guide to Buying in Seattle, where I walk buyers through each stage of the Seattle home buying process.

She is very bright, creative and always has constructive comments and questions.

I have enjoyed being a business partner with Emily for the last 15 years on five commercial real estate deals. She is very bright, creative and always has constructive comments and questions. She is dependable, does what she says and always has a positive attitude. I enjoy working with her and have found her to be trustworthy and helpful.