Should You Write a Letter to a Home Seller?
2026
Should you write a letter to a home seller to try and get a leg up on the competition? The answer is, “It depends.” Writing a letter to accompany a weak offer is a waste of everyone’s time and won’t get you a “deal” on the home. But given two similar offers in a strong market, a personal letter (and a reasonable offer) may help you get you foot in the door. But don’t simply dash one off without giving it some thought, or you’ll be wasting your time.
* First, learn as much as you can about the seller and their situation. Ask the listing agent why they’re selling, how long they’ve been in the home, and what their experience has been like there. Try to get inside the seller’s head to better understand who you’re working with.
* If it’s a long-time family home, the seller may be attached to it emotionally and would be interested in knowing more about the folks who will be taking over the helm.
For example, a buyer in San Francisco wrote a letter to an elderly gentleman who had been in his home over 60 years. His wife had died and all his kids had moved out and had families of his own. In his letter, the buyer, a newlywed with a child on the way, talked about continuing the seller’s “legacy.” The buyer assured the seller he would take care of the well-constructed work area the seller had built in the basement. The buyer got the house.
Bottom line: Try to make some sort of connection with the seller based on what the listing agent tells you or what you see in the home. Can you tell by walking through the home that you’re dealing with a fellow art lover? Let them know. Have you figured out that you’re from the same home state as the seller, or worked at the same company? Here again, let them know by opening up about yourself and your background in a personal letter.
