How Do I Receive Offers When Selling My House Myself?

Short Answer

An offer is a written proposal to buy your home on specific terms. When selling yourself, you decide how buyers submit offers—through your own process, an online form, or a central portal. The written terms, not just the price, are what you actually evaluate. Keeping every offer and its supporting documentation organized in one place makes comparison and negotiation far easier.

What Counts as an Offer?

An offer to purchase is a written proposal from a buyer stating the terms under which they are willing to buy your property. At minimum, a serious offer typically identifies the buyer, the property, a proposed purchase price, and other material terms such as financing, earnest money, inspection rights, closing date, and any contingencies.

A verbal "I'm interested" is not a binding offer. Until the terms are in writing and signed by the buyer, you have an inquiry or an expression of interest—not a contract.

Key Terms to Look For

When an offer arrives, review more than the price:

• Purchase price: The gross amount offered.
• Financing type: Cash, conventional loan, FHA, VA, or another program.
• Proof of funds or pre-approval: Documentation that the buyer can perform.
• Earnest money: The deposit showing the buyer's good faith.
• Inspection rights: Any inspection or due-diligence period.
• Contingencies: Conditions that must be met for the sale to proceed.
• Closing date and possession timeline: When the sale closes and when you hand over keys.
• Seller concessions: Credits or costs the buyer asks you to pay.
• Personal property: Anything included or excluded beyond the real estate.

For a deeper look at evaluating the complete package, see How Do I Compare Multiple Offers on My House?.

How Buyers Can Submit Offers

When you sell without a listing agent, you control how offers come in. Common approaches include:

• Email or messaging: Buyers or their agents send a written offer and supporting documentation.
• Online form or portal: A central place where buyers upload an offer and proof of funds.
• Buyer's agent submission: A buyer's agent prepares and submits the offer on the buyer's behalf.

Whichever method you choose, make it consistent. When every offer arrives in the same format with the same supporting documents, comparison becomes much easier.

Should I Require a Specific Form?

There is no universal legal requirement that every Arizona offer use one particular form. Buyers represented by an agent may use standard Arizona real estate forms. Unrepresented buyers may need help preparing a written offer—often through a title or escrow company, an attorney, or a template—but you should understand the legal effect of any document before signing. This is general information, not legal advice.

Organize Offers as They Arrive

Receiving offers is only useful if you can actually evaluate them. When offers arrive through scattered emails, texts, and attachments, important terms get overlooked.

For each offer, keep together:

• The signed written offer
• Proof of funds or pre-approval
• Buyer contact and agent information
• Any requested terms or concessions
• Notes on timing and communication

A central destination—such as a property portal where buyers submit offers and documentation—can help you see competing offers and their terms in one place rather than piecing them together from email chains.

Arizona-Specific Considerations

Arizona residential resale transactions commonly use the Arizona Association of REALTORS® Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract, but the parties can negotiate different terms and the executed contract controls. If a buyer's agent is involved, any compensation to that agent is negotiable and not set by law—see Do I Have to Pay a Buyer's Agent When Selling My Own Home?.

Dwealling's Role

Dwealling helps homeowners organize buyer activity, documentation, and offers in one place so terms can be reviewed side by side. You remain in control of which offer to accept, counter, or decline. Setup is $199 one-time plus $99 per month. Dwealling does not guarantee an offer, a specific price, or a sale.

Arizona Context

Arizona residential resale transactions commonly use the Arizona Association of REALTORS® Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract, but the parties can negotiate different terms and the executed contract controls. There is no universal legal requirement that every offer use one specific form.

An offer isn't just a number—it's a package of terms. The price is usually the first thing a seller notices, but I've learned to read the whole offer before reacting to it. When offers arrive from different sources in different formats, it's easy to miss a contingency or misread a timeline. That's why I built Dwealling to keep offers and their supporting documentation organized in one place. It doesn't make the decision for you—it helps you see what you're actually deciding on.

— Ryan Michael, Arizona Real Estate Professional

Have Another Question?

Submit your Arizona real estate question. We'll check if we already have an answer—and if not, we may create one.