Seller Concession Cheat Sheet

A tool, if targeted. The question isn't yes or no but which concession keeps the deal alive while protecting your net. Older homes invite more requests, so knowing the menu matters.

Usually a targeted credit or rate buydown over an equal price reduction. A closing-cost credit solves a cash-tight buyer's real problem for less net than a price cut, and a buydown has outsized impact on their monthly payment.

A credit often keeps you out of the contractor business and off the hook for workmanship while still solving the buyer's concern. Doing repairs yourself makes sense only when your cost is clearly lower and quality is controllable.

A home warranty. It's a low-cost concession that reduces a buyer's fear about aging systems, sometimes defusing a bigger repair ask for a fraction of the price.

From a strong position — multiple offers or low inventory — counter with a smaller, targeted concession rather than the buyer's full ask. Match the concession to what's actually blocking them, not to their opening request.

Identify the buyer's real blocker (cash, monthly payment, or condition fear) and counter with the cheapest lever that solves it. Structuring that counter is part of a Real Estate Review.