How do you compare terms alongside price?
Record the deposit amount and trigger, financing evidence, each condition or subject, the contractual deadlines and notices, and closing and possession arrangements. Compare how those terms fit the seller’s priorities. A larger deposit, fewer clauses or an earlier date is a fact to review, not an automatic winner rule.
Use neutral offer references and the same review fields. Keep a distinction between a statement in an offer, a supporting document you have reviewed and something that remains unconfirmed. Our multiple-offer checklist puts this terms review alongside seller net proceeds.
Read the deposit trigger as well as the amount
A $50,000 deposit due at one point in the contract can create a different practical discussion from the same amount due at another point. Record the trigger exactly and confirm the named holder. Do not replace the signed term with a local habit or a fixed percentage rule.
As a BC example, BCFSA’s consumer guide to deposits explains that deposit timing is negotiable and describes brokerage trust handling. Confirm the relevant local requirements and actual contract. Record receipt status through the approved process rather than assuming an entered amount means the money was received.
FICTIONAL OFFER TERMS
Maple has a $10,000 deposit and six conditions. Cedar has a $50,000 deposit and one condition. Birch has a $35,000 deposit and two conditions. In this demonstration the entered deposit trigger is within 24 hours of acceptance. None of those amounts or that trigger is supplied as a rule for a real offer.
Treat financing labels as prompts for evidence
A financing-type field makes a comparison easier to read, but it cannot verify funds or lender approval. Record the actual financing clause, what evidence is available for authorized review and the outstanding questions. Keep sensitive records within the approved brokerage and lender process.
The FCAC explains that preapproval does not guarantee mortgage approval. The lender still needs to complete its process for the actual property and transaction. A label such as cash, pre-approved mortgage or firm approval should not become a blanket statement that the offer will complete.
When evidence is missing, write the follow-up action and owner. Avoid giving an offer a high certainty score simply because a dropdown has been filled. If financing wording is unclear, use the appropriate professional advice before explaining its legal effect to the seller.
Compare the wording and the deadline together
Use a short label such as financing or inspection for navigation, then keep a reference to the complete clause. Record the actual date, time of day, time zone where relevant, party responsible and notice requirements. A date field alone cannot show whether the required step has been completed.
British Columbia often uses subjects and subject removal. Other Canadian markets commonly use conditions. BCFSA’s offers-from-buyers guidance describes subject clauses within the BC process. The correct formal step depends on the actual contract and local requirements, not on which label a template displays.
Clause count is an incomplete measure. One broadly worded condition can require more review than several narrow clauses. Ask what uncertainty remains, what must happen next and whether the proposed time gives the relevant people a workable opportunity to act.
Keep closing and possession separate
Record both dates when the agreement distinguishes them. Add contractual times, included access arrangements and any obligation that affects handover. Compare the dates with the seller’s next purchase, moving plans and access requirements, without assuming that earlier is always better.
| Field | Question to verify |
|---|---|
| Closing | Which date and time apply, and which legal-office confirmations are needed? |
| Possession | When may possession occur under the contract, and who confirms authorization? |
| Clause deadline | What action, notice and recipient are required by the actual wording? |
| Seller fit | How does this affect moving, another purchase or agreed access? |
A convenient date can have financial consequences. Ask whether changing the date alters lender payout, temporary accommodation, adjustments or another included cost. Update the net-proceeds estimate when the financial assumptions change.
Use weighted scoring to expose priorities
The Offer Comparison workbook starts with price 40%, certainty 35% and timeline 25%, with agent-entered scores from 1 to 10. This is a transparent judgement framework. It is not a probability of completion, a credit assessment or an industry-mandated formula.
For the fictional Cedar offer, price 8, certainty 9 and timeline 9 give (8 × 0.40) + (9 × 0.35) + (9 × 0.25) = 8.60. With weights changed to 90%, 5% and 5%, the fictional Maple scores of 10, 3 and 5 give 9.40. Different priorities change the weighted-score order while the entered net proceeds stay the same.
Agree on the priorities before treating a score as useful. Keep the reason for each score visible, check that weights total 100% and let the seller challenge the assumptions. Unknown evidence should remain visible in the notes rather than being dressed up as an exact risk percentage.
Record the seller’s direction through the proper process
Explain the key financial and contractual differences and identify anything needing further advice. Keep the signed offers available while reviewing the comparison. A shortened summary must not become the only version of a clause the seller reads.
The seller’s decision and formal next step belong in the applicable brokerage and contract process. A worksheet does not accept, reject or counter an offer, remove a subject, waive a condition or authorize keys. Once an offer is accepted, a separate transaction workflow can track agreed actions and client updates without confusing reminders with legal notices.