Bidding war strategy #268: the broker's love letter

By Leigh Kamping-Carder | November 13, 2014 - 2:59PM

We recently wrote about bidding war love letters—the notes that potential purchasers write to convince sellers to choose them over rival offers—and included a few real-life examples. But in the course of putting the story together, we noticed that, for some buyers, the broker actually writes the letter, and it works.

A couple of brokers we spoke with insisted that buyers should pen the letter solo, since it's more heartfelt that way. But we also collected a few from situations where a broker's letter won the day, resulting in accepted offers. In our ongoing efforts to demystify the buying process (especially for first-timers), we've included the letters here. These examples follow many of the same guidelines as the buyer-written letters—namely, to have your broker introduce you with relevant details, convince the seller that you're serious about your offer and your love of the home, and strike the right balance between confidence and gushing.

Thanks to Ari Harkov, a broker at Halstead Property; Highlyann Krasnow, a broker at MNS Real Estate; Brandon Bogard, an agent at Douglas Elliman; and David Kazemi, a broker at Bond New York for the letters.

Instead of "love letters," Park Slope buyers hit neighbors with postcards

How to win a bidding war

Peek in the seller's closets, nix the bathroom stop, and more ways to ace the open house

Brick Underground articles occasionally include the expertise of, or information about, advertising partners when relevant to the story. We will never promote an advertiser's product without making the relationship clear to our readers.