{"id":13032,"date":"2019-11-27T15:44:58","date_gmt":"2019-11-27T23:44:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=13032"},"modified":"2026-04-14T02:32:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T09:32:46","slug":"buyer-how-long-is-an-offer-valid-on-a-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-long-is-an-offer-valid-on-a-house\/","title":{"rendered":"So You\u2019ve Submitted an Offer on a House! How Long Until You Hear Back?"},"content":{"rendered":"

After touring several homes and finding one you really love, you\u2019ve put in your best possible offer and can\u2019t wait for the next steps. Not much to do now but wait on pins and needles for the seller to respond. How long until you hear back<\/a> \u2014 minutes, hours, days, weeks…never?<\/p>\n

Truthfully, it could be any and all of the above. The ball\u2019s in the seller\u2019s court now. So patience will be key.<\/p>\n

To keep you sane in the meantime, let\u2019s review the typical offer acceptance time frame, when it\u2019s a good idea to put a shot clock on your offer, and which scenarios lead to a longer waiting period.<\/p>\n

Your quick answer: How long is an offer valid on a house?<\/h2>\n

Sellers have no legal obligation<\/a> to respond to your offer at all. It is possible (though unlikely if you made a great offer) that you won\u2019t hear back. But here\u2019s the good news:<\/p>\n

\u201cBuyers can expect to hear back on an offer within a couple of days \u2014 typically 48 hours<\/b>,\u201d says real estate agent Becky O\u2019Brien<\/a>, who HomeLight ranks as one of the top 1% of agents in Minnesota. \u201cMost agents won\u2019t wait too much more than that before following up.\u201d<\/p>\n

So even if the response is a big fat rejection, most sellers will have the courtesy to let you know that they aren\u2019t interested or to put together a counter offer within a reasonable amount of time.<\/p>\n

But what\u2019s customary for your market could be different. For example, the California residential purchase agreement<\/a> has specific rules that state an offer \u201cshall be deemed revoked and the deposit, if any, shall be returned to Buyer\u201d if the seller fails to sign the offer by 5 p.m. on the third day<\/b> after the buyer signed.<\/p>\n

In other areas, such as Houston, sellers typically respond to offers within 24 hours<\/a>, according to a discussion on Houston Association of Realtors online forum. Partner with a local agent<\/a> and ask about what\u2019s normal for your area. Then account for how factors like your offer strength or market conditions could either shrink or stretch that window (which we\u2019ll dig into more below).<\/p>\n

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Source: (CalypsoArt\/ Shutterstock.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Should you put an expiration date on your offer?<\/h2>\n

You do have the option of adding an expiration date<\/a> to your written offer. In that case, if you don\u2019t hear back from the seller by the deadline you set, the offer dies automatically. When the offer expires, you\u2019re free and clear to go ahead and bid on another house.<\/p>\n

However, you should chat with your agent about whether this is the best move from a strategic perspective.<\/p>\n

According to O\u2019Brien, buyers are better off simply withdrawing their offer on the first property if the seller hasn\u2019t responded before making an offer on another home. You never know, your request to withdraw may be just the nudge the seller needs to accept your original offer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t usually advise buyers to put an expiration date on their offer because they can pull it at any time,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

What about making offers on multiple homes?<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s say you\u2019re trying to buy a house in a competitive market and find yourself down on your luck. You\u2019ve submitted an offer on several homes but lost out to another buyer every time. You feel that delays during the offer stages are causing you to miss out on bidding for other homes.<\/p>\n

By the time the seller rejects you, the other house you had your eye on goes under contract.<\/p>\n

In this case, your agent may recommend that you start to make offers on multiple homes at the same time \u2014 however, this strategy can backfire if you don\u2019t follow protocol, and it\u2019s not always legal (rules vary state by state).<\/p>\n

According to a post by Patricia Arvielo<\/a>, president and co-founder of mortgage company New American funding, our research of contract law, and insights from O\u2019Brien (our top agent in Minnesota), here\u2019s what you should keep in mind if you decide to go this route:<\/p>\n