Writing a Letter to Seller

Writing a letter to the seller is an optional step, but it’s one our clients have had a lot of success with, especially in a multiple offer situation.

We recommend sitting down with a cup of coffee or glass of wine & detailing out the special things you love about the home. Your agent can always read it over before sending it to ensure you are striking the right chord.

If you’re comfortable, many clients add a photo so that the seller can put a face to the name! 

Below are some sample letters from past clients – feel free to use these as inspo for your own!

Austin & Shelly

To the homeowners,

As a couple moving to Chicago from out-of-town, finding a place we can feel very much “at home” is extremely important to us. When we picture ourselves and our dog, Gumbo, living our life here, that feeling is abundant.

We’ve been looking at homes since December, and must have been through hundreds, maybe thousands, of listings at this point. Many were nice and met most of our criteria. But yours stopped us in our tracks with its refined balance of elegance and coziness. (I legitimately gasped when I first saw it and frantically interrupted Austin’s Zoom work meeting to show him. – Shelly)

As you surely know far better than we do, your home’s attributes, from its dramatic, vaulted ceilings, to the gorgeous kitchen and bathrooms, to the incredible archway, work in concert to create a special and truly one-of-a-kind space we would love to call our own.

We’ve found ourselves daydreaming about morning coffee on the terrace, cooking meals for family and friends in the beautiful kitchen, and enjoying all that Logan Square has to offer. The pictures, video and virtual tour we took have given us a real sense of comfort about living there, and we only get more excited each time we take another look through.

We sincerely appreciate your consideration of our offer and we look forward to hearing from you! As we anticipate the next chapter in our lives, we wish you the best as you embark on yours.

Thank you,
Austin and Shelly

Basia

Dear Seller,

If you’ve ever seen a commercial for Zillow, you know that the final line always ends with: “You’re not just looking for a house. You’re looking for a place for your life to happen”. I can’t imagine a better way to describe the home buying process.

Touring homes requires a decent amount of imagination. You have to imagine where you’d put your couch, what your view would be as you enjoy your morning coffee, and how it would feel to come home, kick off your shoes off, plop on the couch, and pour yourself a glass of wine. You have to imagine exactly in which direction you would kick your shoes, how that first step on the cold hardwood floor would feel after a full day in heels, and how warm the embrace would be as your home welcomes you back. Stepping into your condo, I felt like I was being welcomed into a home: not just touring another house. I was immediately struck by the amount of natural light and overall openness of the unit. I loved the wooden cabinets and how open the kitchen was to the rest of the apartment, creating such warmth and flow throughout the unit. Having a united kitchen and living room floor plan truly embraces my lifestyle of “I need to cook dinner but I also can’t miss an episode of the Bachelor on TV”. As I continued walking, I could picture myself waking up on a Saturday morning, making myself a fancy Nespresso latte that I’m too busy to make during the week, and sitting on the balcony to enjoy the view of the sun as it rises. As I walked through your condo, I felt like home.

For where I’m at in my life, your unit is absolutely perfect. I’m young, single, and I need a small space to make the memories a girl in her 20s wants to make: a place to host my friends for girls night, a place to read a book when the world become overwhelming, and a place to celebrate whatever personal and professional successes I’m hoping to have in the coming years (promotions, engagements, etc). I can see myself taking pictures on the balcony with my friends as they come over to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and I can picture myself taking a selfie in the kitchen with my sister as we bake cookies for my church’s soup kitchen every month. Life is just a collection of memories, and I can see your unit being the backdrop to mine.

The bottom line is that I’m ready to make your condo my home. I’ll brighten up the space with the love and care it deserves, and I will treasure it like I would a favorite book or a family heirloom. The bones of a beautiful condo are already there; it just needs someone to fill it with life, memories, and fall scented candles.

Thanks so much for considering my offer!

Sincerely,
Basia

Samantha & Daniel

Dear Homeowners,

Thank you for letting us tour your home and confirm that it is indeed everything the internet said it would be (and more!). As a newly married couple, we have a specific vision for the type of environment we want to support our marriage and family, and your home exceeds all of our expectations.

Many home buyers spend months searching for a home to call their own, but the path that led us to your place couldn’t have been more different. Our original plan was to wait the remainder of the year and begin our home buying process in the new year. That all changed when your sun-filled spacious home popped up on the market. After working to get pre-approval letters in place and finding a realtor we enjoy working with, we were so happy to finally set foot into the home that was pulled up on our web browsers for the last few days.

The first thing that jumped out to us is just how amazing the large kitchen and bright dining nook are. It was so easy to see ourselves cooking together and entertaining family and friends, both things we love to do. As is probably true of many couples, one of our top requirements for a new home was two bathrooms…and to find a place that not only has two bathrooms, but one is a master and has a double vanity?! What more could we ask for. And of course, the location of your home is just great. We’ve spent many hours hanging out with friends in Buena Park and with them have explored both the east and west sides of Graceland, so we look forward to getting to live there while the area continues to grow.

It’s amazing to us how many times we’ve driven past this home on our way to our friends’ apartment without stopping to think about what was inside. Now that we know, it’s hard to imagine our lives playing out any other way. We would be so grateful if you considered selling your home to us. After our decision to marry one another nearly a year ago, we have never felt more confident in a joint decision than we do about our aspiration to purchase your home.

Thank you for your consideration! We look forward to hearing from you.

Samantha & Daniel

Rick & Alyssa

Dear Sellers,

Thank you for the opportunity to tour your home— we absolutely love it! We are in awe of how much the style reminds us of our recent trips to Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Naples, and reignites the brightness and warmth that we felt in those places. To be able to experience those coastal feelings in our beloved Chicago would be the best of both worlds.

As current residents of the Loop, we are not only looking for a continued close proximity to restaurants and shops, but are also longing to be close to Lincoln Park and the lakefront so that we can retreat to nature. Additionally, having an oasis (the gorgeous patio) where we can relax with our future dog and little ones is a dream. We love that this home is perfect for a family, and we can envision raising up ours next to the fireplace on a winter day and making cookies in the stunning kitchen.

We feel incredibly grateful to present you with our offer, and hope you see the appreciation we have for your home. Please know that if you accept, we will truly cherish it for many years to come!

Sincerely,
Rick & Alyssa

Next Up » Negotiating an Offer