Top 5 Home Buyer Incentives
2026
If your home is proving difficult to sell, or you expect it to be a tough sell, you’ll probably need to sweeten the pie. Here are five great home buyer incentives to consider.
1. Buy down the buyer’s interest rate
Banks typically offer buyers an interest rate based on the current market rate when the buyers apply. To lock in a lower rate, buyers can pay an upfront fee, called a point. Paying upfront is called “buying down the rate,” and you, as the seller, can do it for the buyer.
If a bank offers a buyer 3 percent today on a 30-year fixed mortgage, the buyer (or seller) can pay 1 percent of the loan amount, which would bring the buyer’s rate down to something like 2.75 percent. This means lower monthly payments for buyers that are locked in for many years, which is more valuable than a small reduction in the purchase price.
2. Offer furniture or window coverings
Owners who have renovated their home often chose furniture that matches the home’s new look. Some homes show so well, buyers might want to purchase the house and all the furniture in it. If you have a home with custom furniture that might not fit so well in your new home, consider offering it with the sale. In addition to helping sell the home, it might alleviate the future headache of trying to get rid of the furniture. And it could help your buyer jump-start furnishing their new home.
3. Give a credit for non-recurring closing costs
Buyers often come back to the seller after inspections and request repairs to the home. The wish list can include anything from patching the roof to repairing dry rot. As the seller, you probably don’t want the hassle of making repairs. If not done right or to the buyers’ specifications, the repairs can hold up the closing. Offering the buyer a credit for non-recurring closing costs, such as making repairs, is an easy way to handle this and gives the buyer another incentive.
4. Give the buyer’s agent a higher commission
It’s not unusual for a seller to offer a half-percent or even a 1 percent bonus commission to the buyers’ agent as an incentive to help drum up more interest in their home. Your agent would most likely communicate the bonus to the buyer’s agent through interoffice communication. (Don’t forget, a good agent is well connected.)
5. Offer a credit for a “close by” date
Sometimes the consequences of the sale date justify offering a small bonus or credit to a potential buyer for meeting a closing date. For example, a seller may have claimed residence in another state and faces a giant tax bill if they don’t sell by a certain deadline. The tax liability may have larger consequences outside the real estate transaction.
If a seller wants a quick closing, they should offer a credit to the buyer—and maybe even a bonus commission to the buyers’ agent. For a buyer who rents and can be flexible, a quick closing is simple. Offering an incentive to do so would only be icing on the cake.
Sellers can offer incentives and promote them in a number of ways. Putting incentives out there as part of your marketing will surely get buyers in the door. So if you’re having a hard time selling or know up front that your home will be a tough sell, advertise the incentives implicitly. If you have a buyer, and you’ve come close to negotiating but are stuck, these incentives, pulled out at the eleventh hour, can help push the deal across the finish line.
