How long does a seller have to respond to my offer?

Shannon, there is no law in any state that gives a seller a deadline to respond to your offer. The only clock that exists is the one you write into the offer yourself. The others covered the etiquette side well, so let me add the piece nobody here has touched: the contract language that actually controls this. In California, where I work, the C.A.R. Residential Purchase Agreement (the RPA) carries a built-in expiration. Unless you write a different deadline in, the offer is deemed revoked if the seller has not accepted it within 3 days after you sign. Missouri uses its own state forms, but nearly every purchase contract has some version of that clause. Ask your agent to show you the exact line before you sign anything. That means you control the clock, not the seller. In a competitive situation I shorten it on purpose, usually 24 to 48 hours. A tight deadline forces a decision instead of letting your offer sit as a stalking horse while the listing agent calls everyone who toured last weekend. Two things worth knowing. First, you can generally revoke your offer any time before you receive notice of acceptance, so if the seller goes quiet you are not trapped. Second, a counteroffer legally kills your original offer, and the counter comes with its own expiration, so the clock restarts every round. And silence is information. A seller who takes four days to answer a clean, well documented offer is either working another buyer or is not really ready to sell. Read it that way and price your patience accordingly. I am a real estate professional, not an attorney, so have your Missouri agent or a local attorney confirm how your state's form handles it. I am Zoltan Peresztegi, and I work in Los Angeles and the South Bay, including the Palos Verdes Peninsula, so Springfield is outside my area. If you want a name, I am glad to connect you with a strong agent in southwest Missouri from my network. Zoltan

There’s no fixed legal time limit—it’s whatever you put in your offer. Typically: • Most buyers set a response deadline of 24–72 hours • If no deadline is written, the seller can take longer or delay If the seller doesn’t respond by your deadline, the offer usually expires.

It depends on what’s written in your offer. Most offers include an expiration time, often anywhere from a few hours to 24 or 48 hours. If there’s no deadline, the seller technically could take longer. In a competitive market, buyers usually keep the deadline shorter so they’re not left waiting. Simple way to think about it. You control a lot of this by how long you give the seller to respond.

This is heavily market dependent. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Operations In: NY, NJ, FL & CA

This is heavily market dependent. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Operations In: NY, NJ, FL & CA

In Missouri there is a line on the contract to add a deadline. You can ask your realtor but typically 24 hours is fair. Depending on the situation you can make it shorter or longer. HTH!

It is always wise to put a response deadline for your offer so you’re not waiting as long. The offer is no longer valid one the deadline has passed. Also, keep in mind that sometimes no answer is your answer and you may need to readjust your pricing strategy.

There’s usually no strict legal deadline, but most sellers respond within about 24–72 hours as a common courtesy. Your offer can include its own expiration date and time (for example, “this offer expires tomorrow at 5 pm”), which limits how long the seller has before it automatically lapses.

There’s no set rule. The seller has until the offer expiration to respond. If no deadline is written in, they can take as long as they want. Most offers include a response window, often 24–48 hours, to keep things moving.

Most offers set their own response deadline. If there is no deadline written in, sellers often respond within 24 to 48 hours. It depends on the market and how quickly decisions need to be made.

In Georgia, it is typically 24 hours. Although, in some situations more or less time is allowed.

All depends on what is written on the offere.

Typical Response time depends on the temperature of the market..... how fast are properties moving. If you have a written offer in, there should be an expiration of the offer in writing in the contract that you offered. Your REALTOR should be able to answer this more specifically with your contract. Typically in a hot market, I try to get an answer back in 24 hours.... I have had some offers on my listings come in with a week to respond because they are leaving it open longer if they are an investor.... Look at your specific offer in writing to see if there is an expiration date...... However, My 1st response is if they do not respond by the expiration of the offer then that is your answer they rejected the offer. If they responded back a few days after the expiration and you had not found another home and still wanted it, I would ask for a counter in writing and have the expiration of the offer changed and initialed..... I hope this helps.

Hi Shannon! When you make your offer, you put an ACCEPTANCE DEADLINE on your offer. So YOU are the one who determines the timeframe for response! 24 hours is a pretty normal deadline.

Hi Shannon, yes, it depends on your area. In SC, we are able to put an expiration date and time on the Offer to Purchase, so it can be as short or as long as you want. In NC, there is no tine frame.

Well you will see one u really like could take 1 day or 30 dyas

Typically response is 24 hours. If seller does not respond in that time frame, deal could still go through if all parties agree. Hope this answers your question.

In California, there is no set time frame for how long a seller has to respond to an offer. It is considered to be a negotiation between the buyer and the seller and the timeframe for response can vary. However, in a typical real estate transaction, it is common for the seller to respond to an offer within 24 to 48 hours unless if the buyer agent set an expression time for the offer. In this case, the seller should get back to buyers within that time frame. Everything is negotiable, so make sure you ask your agent to set the expression time and date and do not go with the default contract recommendation unless if seller needs more time. It is always good to talk to your agent about this as it is different from case to case. Avil Soleiman Realtor 408-807-5657

Hi Shannon, It may depend on where you are in the country... In MN a fair response time is 24 hours in the current market. If you feel it has been too long, definitely ask your agent to reach out to the listing agent. I hope this helps!

I agree with Daniel - depends on your local market. Here in Indiana is typically 24 hours or less, depending on the time of day you write the offer. If it can be presented in the morning, I see plenty with a deadline of 8 or 9PM the same day. Ask your agent what it typical in your area!