What to Include in a Letter to Seller

Making an offer on a home comes with plenty more decisions than just the price. If you’re buying in a market where more than one buyer might be interested in the same house, you may have come across the idea of a letter to seller, sometimes called a letter to seller from buyer, a buyer letter to seller, or simply a home offer letter.  

The idea sounds simple. Introduce yourself, share why you love the house, and hope it helps your offer stand out. Before you draft one, though, it helps to know what these letters typically include, what they should leave out, and why many real estate agents no longer recommend them at all. 

What Is a Letter to a Seller? 

A letter to a seller from a buyer is a personal note attached to a purchase offer and addressed directly to the person selling the home. The goal from the buyer’s end is to give the seller a sense of who is buying their home, beyond the numbers in the contract. Buyers have used these letters for years, especially in competitive situations where several offers land around the same price and terms. 

A buyer letter does not replace or change the terms in your purchase offer, and a seller is never required to read or consider one. What it can do, for better or for worse, is shape how a seller feels about an offer that otherwise looks similar to the others on the table. Further, if you aren’t careful in crafting the content, you may violate Fair Housing laws.  

Why Buyers Consider a Home Offer Letter 

Most buyers write one for the same reason. They have found a home they want and worry that offer amount and terms alone will not be enough to win it, particularly when several offers come in at once. Sharing a bit about themselves, why the home matters to them, or how they picture living there feels like a natural way to add something a spreadsheet cannot. 

It is an understandable instinct. It is also one that may come with a well-documented downside. 

What to Write in a Letter to a Seller 

If your real estate agent gives the go-ahead to include a letter, keep the focus on the property and the transaction rather than on you personally. A few examples of content that tends to be closer to safer territory: 

• Specific features of the home you appreciate, such as the layout, the yard, or the kitchen 

• Why the location or neighborhood works for your plans, described in general terms 

• Your intentions for maintaining or caring for the property 

• A brief recap of your offer terms and your readiness to close 

Keep it short. One page is plenty, and a few sentences are often all it takes to make the point. 

What to Leave Out of a Buyer Letter to Seller 

This is very important. The National Association of REALTORS® has cautioned buyers and agents for several years that these letters can unintentionally introduce Fair Housing risk. The concern is primarily the personal information a letter might include, such as details about a buyer’s family, race, religion, national origin, disability, or other characteristics protected under federal Fair Housing law. 

If a seller ends up choosing, or passing over, an offer partly because of information from a letter rather than the strength of the offer itself, that decision can raise Fair Housing concerns for the seller and for both real estate agents involved. This is true even when nobody involved intended any harm.  

So, leave out health conditions, disabilities, age or other personal details that could introduce bias or implicate federal, state or local protections. 

Be aware that many listing agents will decline to pass a letter along to their seller at all, regardless of what it says.  

Questions to Ask Before You Submit a Home Offer Letter 

Because the rules and norms around letters to sellers vary by market, by state, and even by listing agent, the best first step is a conversation, not a draft. Before you write anything, ask your real estate agent: 

• Does the listing agent or seller accept buyer letters for this home? 

• Are there state or local guidelines that affect how letters can be used? 

• If a letter is appropriate here, what should it focus on? 

• What alternatives, such as adjusting the earnest money deposit or the closing timeline, might carry more weight with this particular seller? 

Your real estate agent works in these transactions every day and should have better insight into what is likely to help in your specific situation. 

Key Takeaways 

• A letter to a seller from a buyer is optional.  

• Sellers and their agents may decline to accept buyer letters, and that is increasingly common. 

• Personal details in a letter, such as family information, religion, or race, can create Fair Housing risk for everyone involved. 

• If you do write one, focus on the property and the transaction, not on personal characteristics. 

• Ask your real estate agent whether a letter is appropriate before you write one, since guidance varies by market and by listing agent. 

Final Thoughts 

A letter to a seller is a tool that works in some situations but creates real risk in others, and the difference usually comes down to what is inside it. Be sure to ask if your agent recommends using one at all. If you decide a letter fits your situation, keep it short, keep it focused on the home, and leave personal details out of it. If you decide to skip it, building a strong offer built on solid terms and clear communication with your agent may be more worthwhile anyway.  

First-time homebuyers face plenty of decisions like this one that seem small but carry real weight. Working with a real estate agent and a mortgage banker who can walk you through each step makes the process easier to navigate.