Handling Offers and Negotiation

An offer is the beginning of a process, not the end of one. What is agreed alongside the number often matters as much as the number.

Test the buyer, not just the price

Where are the funds, and are they already in Thailand or still to be remitted? Is the purchase conditional on finance, on a sale elsewhere, or on a legal review? A slightly lower offer from a buyer with cleared funds is frequently the better one.

The reservation stage

Most Phuket sales begin with a reservation agreement and a deposit that takes the property off the market for an agreed period while due diligence runs. Make sure the agreement states what happens to the deposit if the buyer withdraws, and what happens if a genuine title problem is found.

Terms that carry value

Completion date, what furniture is included, apportionment of the transfer costs, and whether any rental bookings transfer with the property. These are all tradeable, and conceding on one can protect the price.

Keep it in writing

Verbal agreement in a market with several languages and time zones is where misunderstandings breed. Confirm each stage in writing as it is reached.