Can I make a low offer directly to the listing agent, without my own agent?

by Alessandra Imanabadi

By Alessandra Imanabadi · Nationwide Fine Homes

You can approach the listing agent. My recommendation is to have someone independently advising you before negotiating a six- or seven-figure purchase.

The listing agent already represents the seller. The fact that you have contacted them does not automatically create someone whose sole responsibility is to you. If they also represent you, that is a disclosed dual-agency relationship, not independent representation on each side.

First establish whether the price is actually high

A home sitting on the market may be overpriced, poorly presented, difficult to show or facing a limited buyer pool. Sometimes a lower offer is precisely right. Sometimes the apparent discount disappears once you understand repairs or other compromises.

Look at comparable sales, condition, current alternatives and the seller’s position. The asking price is not a valuation.

For illustration, offering $100,000 below asking is not necessarily aggressive if the property began $150,000 above its supported value. The same offer on a deliberately underpriced listing is a very different proposal. The discount is meaningful only when you understand the starting point.

A low offer needs more than a low number

A seller who sees no credible reasoning may simply decline to engage. If you return higher immediately, you have shown more flexibility without learning much in return.

A thoughtful offer explains the number and connects it to terms you can actually deliver. Financing strength, timing and the investigations already completed can matter alongside price. Removing a condition is not a substitute for understanding what it protects.

Your agent should help you see whether the opportunity is real and how to pursue it without negotiating against yourself.

I would be pleased to explain how I would evaluate a property you are considering. That conversation gives you a chance to assess my judgment before deciding whether you want me to represent you.