Many buyers believe that making a verbal offer is a clever, low-risk way to “test the waters.” You throw a number at the agent, wait for a reaction, and see if there’s room to move.
But here’s the truth: a verbal offer is one of the easiest ways for a real estate agent to gain the upper hand. They can twist it, use it, and spin it to serve their own agenda — which is getting the highest possible price from you.
When a property is marketed for auction, the guide price is often set deliberately low to attract buyers. You might think offering at the top of that range is competitive — but the seller’s real price could be much higher.
Example:
By the time auction day arrives, the seller is conditioned to accept less than they originally wanted — and you’ve helped the agent get there without even knowing it.
Crowds create leverage.
Every person who walks through an open home is proof to the seller that the agent is “doing their job.” Even if most of those people never intended to buy, the appearance of demand builds the agent’s credibility.
Verbal offers fuel conditioning.
Weeks of hearing lowball verbal offers erodes a seller’s confidence in their price. When the property finally sells below their original target, they’re relieved — not angry.
Your words become their script.
Agents will casually ask at an open home:
“What do you think it’s worth?”
A number slips out of your mouth, and it becomes “buyer feedback” used to pressure the seller — or to spark urgency with other buyers.
Agents can take your offer — real or not — and tell other buyers:
“We’ve had an offer, so if you’re serious, you need to act now.”
This tactic creates fear of missing out (FOMO), prompting others to rush in with higher written offers. You’ve just helped the competition without even knowing it.
And here’s the kicker: the agent never has to prove that your verbal offer was genuine, qualified, or even real.
More information on on why verbal offers don’t work.
