When submitting offers you don't have to stick to $5k increments!

[Alan Asriants]

It's very common in real estate negotiations to move in increments of $5,000. I hear it all the time. A home is listed at $400k, there are multiple offers, and the questions start rolling in — should we offer $415k? $420k? $425k?

We've grown so accustomed to these round numbers that we forget we can always negotiate in between.

$420,000 might be a strong offer, but $422,600 is just that much better. For most buyers using financing, the extra $2,600 barely moves the needle on a monthly payment — but it's an additional $2,600 in the seller's pocket, and you're already ahead of competing offers at $420k. That small difference can be the deciding factor in a multiple offer situation.

As a seller's agent, I often see offers come in clustered around the same price point. At that stage it really comes down to the smaller details — deposit amounts, dates, timelines. An unconventional number signals that a buyer has thought carefully about their offer, and that matters.

I encourage all of my buyers to move away from the $5k increment mindset and start thinking across a full spectrum of numbers. It works in non-multiple offer scenarios too. If you're negotiating over a $5k-$10k gap, try meeting at $7,200 — it's better than $5k and much closer to $10k than the seller expected.

The same principle applies to sellers. If your home is listed at $400k and a buyer comes in at $395k, counter at $398,000. It closes the gap psychologically and makes it easier for both sides to get to the finish line.

Small numbers, big impact. Hope this helps!