What is Sellers Help?
If you have been thinking of buying a home or talking to anyone who is, you may have heard the term “sellers help”. This is a term that tends to ring more in a buyers market, and it’s no sellers favorite words. However, it’s useful in getting transactions to the finish line often in markets like the one we are currently in.
WHat is sellers help?
Sellers help (a.ka. Concessions) is when a seller agrees to contribute money toward a buyer’s closing costs.
Instead of the buyer paying all of their upfront costs out of pocket, the seller agrees in the contract to cover a portion of those expenses. This help is not a gift and not a price reduction, though it can sometimes feel similar in effect.
What can sellers help be used for?
Sellers help is typically applied to:
Loan related closing costs
Title and settlement fees
Prepaid items such as taxes or insurance
It cannot be used for just anything, and the amount is usually capped based on loan type and guidelines.
This is why it’s important that seller help is structured properly from the beginning.
WHy sellers help matters more in a buyers market
In a buyer’s market, buyers tend to have:
More choices
More negotiating power
More sensitivity to upfront costs
Many buyers today can afford a monthly payment but struggle with the cash needed to get to the closing table. Sellers help makes homes more accessible, widens the pool of qualifies buyers and helps a listing stand out amongst similar homes. Rather than lowering the price of the home, seller help allows the numbers and equity of the neighborhood to stay stable while aiding the buyer, while aiding the seller in executing their goal of selling the home.
For some buyers, sellers help can also work as an alternative to certain assistance programs, or be used along side them.
While grants and assistance programs can be incredibly helpful, they often come with specific eligibility requirements, waiting periods, or limited availability. Seller help on the other hand, is negotiated directly within the purchase contract and doesn’t require a separate application process.
How Sellers feel about offering help
Nobody wants to give away money, so it’s completely normal for sellers to hesitate on this request. In reality, seller help is a strategic tool, not a weakness. When used thoughtfully, it can shorten time on market and reduce back and forth negotiations. Most sellers come to this realization pretty quickly in a buyers market.
Is seller help always necessary?
NOPE. It’s not right for every situation.
Whether seller help makes sense depends on:
Price point
Buyer demand in the area
Comparable listings
The sellers goals and timeline
The key is understanding how it fits this market, this home, and this buyer pool.
The bigger picture
In today’s market, successful transactions come from flexibility, clarity, and understanding how buyers are experiencing the process.
Seller help is just one of the many tools that can be used be used to bring the right buyer and the right home together withough pressure, and without rushing the process.
THinking about buying or selling?
Even if you’re early in the process, understanding how tools like seller help work can make decisions feel clearer and more grounded.
Have questions? You’re always welcome to reach out.
Erika Walker
Maryland Realtor®
443.468.0757 (c)
443.233.6156 (o)
Realty One Group Excellence
9433 Common Brook Rd Ste 201
Owings Mills, Md. 21117