Accepting a Purchase Offer: A Guide to a Successful Real Estate Transaction
After years of trading in the Auteuil neighborhoods, Jasmine, Ranelagh, La Muette, Seine River Embankment and Radio House, our team at CENTURY 21 Auteuil Immobilier and CENTURY 21 Auteuil Seine has successfully handled numerous successful transactions.
Thanks to our expertise, we are now able to anticipate every potential pitfall and ensure every step goes smoothly, so that we can turn your preliminary agreement into a final sale.
Accepting an Offer: Much More Than Just a "Yes"
Acceptance of a purchase offer legally constitutes the meeting of two intentions: the intention to buy and the intention to sell, under specified terms. This concept, which seems simple at first glance, actually involves practical nuances. Only experience can reveal them!
In our day-to-day practice, we distinguish between several forms of acceptance. Plain and simple acceptance—where the seller says “yes” without reservation—remains the most direct.
But how many times have we seen sellers “accept with reservations”? An apartment Rodin Square receives three offers: 1.200 million (firm), 1.230 million (subject to the sale of another property), and 1.180 million (subject to no loan conditions).
The seller can accept the median offer while keeping the door open for the cash offer in case the condition is not met.
It is important to understand that once an offer has been accepted without reservation, both the seller and the buyer are legally bound. Case law holds that a sale is considered to have taken place as soon as there is agreement on the item and the price—even if that agreement is verbal.
That is why it is important to formalize this agreement quickly through a formal purchase offer.
How to Accept a Purchase Offer: A Step-by-Step Guide
The acceptance process follows a specific protocol that we have refined over the course of numerous transactions.
First, we analyze the offer(s). Beyond the asking price, we take a close look at the buyer’s financial stability, financing terms, and proposed timeline. A buyer offering €10,000 less but who has a firm loan commitment may prove to be more reliable than a higher offer contingent on the sale of another property.
The acceptance itself must be formalized in writing. A simple text message may be legally sufficient, but we always recommend using a purchase offer form.
As soon as acceptance is formalized, we arrange a meeting with each party’s notary’s office. The role of the notary Begins immediately: verification of the title deed, waiving preemptive rights, drafting the preliminary contract. In the 16th arrondissement, we work with several law firms that are well-versed in local specifics: listed buildings, common courtyard easements, and complex shared property issues.
