Seller Concessions: A Smart Strategy To Get Your House Sold

3 Min Read | Seller Concessions: A Smart Strategy to Get Your House Sold | CO Business Spotlight | CO Events + Expert Tips

"Financial freedom is available to those who learn about it and work for it." - Robert Kiyosaki

Hey Everyone,

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Ridgeline Rundown!

Thinking about selling but worried about attracting the right buyers? This week, we’re diving into Seller Concessions—a powerful tool to help you close the deal faster and maximize your home's appeal in today's market. Learn how offering strategic incentives can set your property apart and get it sold!

🔍 What are seller concessions?
🏡 How can they benefit both buyers and sellers?
💡 When should you consider offering them?

I'll break it all down so you can make the smartest moves when selling your home!

Table of Contents

Mortgage Minute

Mortgage rates were mostly flat today. A small morning increase was offset by a small afternoon decrease following a positive bond market reaction to the Fed minutes. The average 30-year fixed rate barely budged, down 0.01%.

The Insider’s Guide to Real Estate | Tips

Seller Concessions: A Smart Strategy To Get Your House Sold

For the past few years, it’s been mostly a seller’s market. But dynamics are shifting as the number of homes for sale grows. And that means that the market is balancing out a bit. As a result, some sellers are finding they need to be more flexible to close a deal. One strategy that can help? Offering concessions.

As the National Association of Realtors (NAR) explains:

“As home inventory begins to grow and buyers regain some advantage in the market, sellers may consider offering more in negotiations to make the deal more attractive and get to the closing table.”

What Are Seller Concessions?

Concessions are homebuying costs that a seller agrees to cover as a way to get their house sold. And based on data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), nearly 1 out of every 4 sellers (24%) offered a concession in 2024. Here are a few of the most common types of concessions:

  • Covering Closing Costs: The seller pays for part (or all) of the buyer’s closing costs, like appraisal fees, title insurance, or loan fees.

  • Price Adjustments: Instead of making repairs, a seller might lower the purchase price to make up for updates the buyer will need to tackle.

  • Adding a Home Warranty: A seller may throw in a home warranty, giving the buyer peace of mind key repairs will be covered in the first year.

And don’t worry. This doesn’t mean you have to come up with more cash to make it happen. These are things that get subtracted from your profits at closing – not more funds you have to bring to the table. And not all concessions are about money.

There are other extras you could throw in. Like, if your buyer is coming from an apartment and has never had a yard before, they may ask if you’d be willing to leave your lawn mower behind. That’s another lever you could pull to keep them happy.

How Concessions Help Sellers

Offering concessions can be a smart strategy for sellers to get a deal done. As Dennis Shirshikov, Professor of Finance and Economics, City University of New York/Queens College told The Mortgage Reports:

"Pricing homes realistically and being willing to offer concessions, such as covering a portion of closing costs or including upgrades, will be key to closing deals . . . in a less frenzied market.”

For example, let’s say you accepted an offer from a buyer, but after their inspection, you found out there are some repairs they want you to tackle before you hand over the keys.

Rather than starting at square one and searching for a new buyer, you could offer a concession. One option is you can take on the repairs and cover the costs yourself. But, if you really don’t want the hassle of dealing with contractors, you could reduce your price by however much repairs would cost. Alternatively, you could offer to pay a portion of your buyer’s closing expenses with the idea they’d use the money they saved at closing toward doing the repairs themselves.

Either way, a concession can be a great way to meet in the middle. However, it’s important to have an agent on your side to help with these negotiations.

A good real estate agent can help you decide when and how to offer concessions, so you don’t give away too much while still ensuring your house gets sold. It’s all about finding the right balance.

Bottom Line

With the market becoming more balanced, seller concessions are coming back into play in some areas. The key is having an agent to help guide you through the process, so things work out in your favor. That’s where I come in.

What’s a concession you’d consider to move things along?.

Elevated Environments

Elevated Environments is a trusted landscape design and construction company specializing in creating beautiful, functional, and sustainable outdoor spaces in the Colorado Springs area. With over 27 years of experience in the industry, Elevated Environments has built a reputation for excellence, delivering meticulously crafted landscapes that reflect their clients’ style and taste. The company’s team of experts works closely with each client, guiding them through the design process to bring their vision to life.

Commitment to Excellence:
Elevated Environments understands that outdoor spaces are an extension of a home’s personality and style. With a commitment to exceptional service, technical expertise, and high-quality materials, the company ensures that every project is executed efficiently, within budget, and with the utmost attention to detail.

Services Provided:

Landscaping:

  • Tree & Plant Installation + Removals (including stump removals)

  • Raised Planter Beds

  • Mulch Installations, Planters/Berms

  • Landscape Edging

  • Sod & Synthetic Turf Installations (Sports Areas, Putting Greens, Dog Runs, etc.)

  • Japanese Style Gardens and Vegetable Gardens

  • Grading Solutions

  • Irrigation Systems

Hardscaping:

  • Patio Installations (flagstone, pavers, concrete, etc.)

  • Paver Installations

  • Retaining Walls (natural stone, stacked boulder, dry stacked stone, siloam stone, concrete, interlocking block, tiered retaining walls, sitting/seating walls, etc.)

  • Step Installations (flagstone, natural stone, concrete, etc.)

  • Sidewalks, Walkways, Pathways (flagstone, concrete, pavers, gravel, etc.)

  • Driveways (concrete, stamped concrete, pavers, cobblestone, gravel, brick, stone, etc.)

  • Water Features (bubble rocks, fountains, waterfalls, ponds, etc.)

  • Firepits/Fireplaces

  • Fence & Custom Gate Installations (all types)

  • Drainage Installations & Solutions

  • Landscape Lighting

  • Customized Outdoor Solutions

Xeriscaping:

  • Xeriscaping Custom Solutions

  • Decorative Rock Installations

  • Dry Creek Beds

  • Accent Boulder Installations

  • Native Plant & Grass Installs

The Elevated Environments Advantage:
Whether clients are looking to build a brand-new landscape or fully renovate an existing yard, Elevated Environments has the expertise to handle projects of all sizes and budgets. The company prides itself on using high-quality, locally sourced materials, ensuring every project is sustainable and built to last. As a preferred landscape design and installation company for Wolf Ranch HOA, Elevated Environments continues to set the standard for excellence in the Colorado Springs area.

For anyone looking to transform their outdoor space into a beautiful, functional retreat, Elevated Environments is the name to trust. Learn more about their services and get in touch at www.elevatedenv.com.

Meet the owner Nick Van Lone a local Wolf Ranch Resident

Colorado Springs Social Scene

Potbelly Sandwich Works is looking for franchise operators to expand into Colorado Springs

The Chicago-based, fast-casual sandwich restaurant chain recently began offering exclusive franchise opportunities for potential business owners in markets including Colorado Springs, Omaha, NE, Wichita, KS, Provo, UT, Killeen/Temple, TX and Albuquerque, NM.

“We’re excited to offer such a unique and empowering opportunity,” said Todd Owen, sales director at Potbelly Sandwich Works. “By allowing business owners to own and develop entire markets, we’re giving them the tools to shape the future of Potbelly in their communities while benefiting from a proven and supported business model.”

Air Force Academy announces speakEasy cell: Colorado Springs Utilities partners with NextEra Energy to launch first battery storage facility

Colorado Springs Utilities is upgrading the city’s power grid as the Pikes Peak region continues to see increased power usage. Last summer, Utilities saw a peak power demand of 1 gigawatt due to the growing list of items consumers are connecting to the power grid. In 2024, the municipal utility partnered with NextEra Energy to build the first battery storage unit in the city, at the Jackson Fuller substation near Woodmen Road and Golden Sage Drive.

The Halal Guys Colorado Springs Grand Opening

Come celebrate the GRAND OPENING of The Halal Guys in Colorado Springs with us on Feb. 22nd! Enjoy delicious halal food.

Details

Date: Saturday, February 22 · 10:30 am - 11 pm MST

Where: 1824 Democracy Point Colorado Springs, CO 80908 United States

Military News and Updates

Military spouses exempted from return to in-office work order

Military spouses working for the federal government will not have to return to in-office work, under a specific exemption issued last week.

The exemption follows a brief, but sweeping executive order President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office ordering all federal employees back to full-time in-person work.

The order said only that "department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary."

Feel free to reach out with any real estate questions—I’m here to help, no matter the state!

Referrals are the biggest compliment, so send anyone my way. Until next time!

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