The Des Moines real estate market is always competitive, and if you want to best some of that competition, writing an offer letter might be just the thing. This shows the sellers that you’re serious, and adds a personal component to the transaction, immediately setting you apart from other bidders.  Here’s how to do it:  

Be Sincere

Your main goal is to establish a connection with the sellers, so you’ll want your personality to come through. Your offer letter doesn’t need to be formal or professionally written, you just want to take a moment to send a personal note expressing your interest in the home. Provide the sellers with a little information about you and your family and let them know what it is you like— or love —about their property.

Share Your Plans

Can you already picture family dinners in the beautiful dining room or summer gatherings in the backyard? These are the sort of details you’ll want to share with the sellers. Go light on any talk of renovation — some sellers have a strong, emotional attachment to their homes and might not welcome any images of drastic change. 

Find Common Ground

Take time out to do a little research and see what you might have in common with the sellers. You may both have an affinity for gardening, or maybe you’re both raising young children. Discovering any areas of common ground can help strengthen your connection. Ideally, after reading your letter, the sellers will feel like they know you.

Keep it Short

Finally, the sellers don’t need your entire life story to make the connection. An unnecessarily long letter won’t always help your case. Try to make sure the letter will only take a couple minutes to read at most. This shows that you’re respectful of their time and you’ll still have plenty of space to make your case.

Writing an offer letter doesn’t take much time, but it could have a big impact on the sellers.


If you’d like a recommendation for an experienced, local Realtor, or if you need to get pre-approved for a mortgage, please reach out to us. We’re always happy to help.