How to Write a Buyer Letter That Will Get You Your First Home

Ah, the buyer letter. It's both a love letter to the house and a first date with the sellers all rolled up into one.

And there's a lot riding on it. People typically write these letters when there's a lot of competition for a home or if they can't quite meet the asking price.

But it's more than just a plea. The buyer letter is a way to tug at the heartstrings and forge a connection. Here's how to do it right. 

Connect with the seller.

Take note of the details of the house and try to imagine who lives there and what you have in common with them.

Did you notice the doggie door in the kitchen? Talk about how you think your pup will love sunbathing on the porch.

Does the house have a fully stocked wine fridge? Talk about how much you like having friends over for wine and cheese. Bonus points if you realize you went to the same college or share a hometown.

Why do you want this to be your first home?

It's flattery time and you should spare no expense.

Feel free to rave about the beautiful landscaping, drool over the screened-in porch, and write an ode to the kitchen. This one should be easy since you already like the house enough to want to buy it!

Respect their story  

Never forget that this is someone's home.

It doesn't matter if you hate their cabinets or if you think their paint colors look like they were chosen by a colorblind five-year-old. The sellers probably agonized over those paint color choices for weeks and might have re-stained those cabinets themselves after hours of hard work.

Even if you love the home, but just want to expand the back deck, don't mention it. People get emotional over their homes. Even though they know that it will soon be someone else's home, some part of them is always going to think of it as their home—and it's always going to look exactly as it does now.

Tell your own story

Are you imagining a life full of early morning runs at the nearby park, teaching your kids to ride their bikes out front, and dinners on the back porch? Let the seller know.

Painting the picture of your life in the home can help make the seller feel more connected to you. After all, everyone wants to think their home will mean just as much to the next person who lives in it as it does to them. 

Be humble

Nobody likes a one upper. So, don't say anything like "my offer is going to be bigger than everyone else's, so you should sell me the home."

That might be true, but that's not what this letter is for. Your job is to make the seller wish they could give the house to you for nothing.

It's your real estate agent's job to do the negotiating and point out that your offer is way above asking.

Make the ask

At the end of the letter be clear that you want them to sell the house to you. And don't forget to mind your P's and Q's!

When the letter's done (and you've had several people proofread it for you) ask your real estate agent or Realtor to pass the letter along to the seller. Now all that's left to do is wait. Good luck!