What belongs in a multiple-offer comparison?
Compare estimated seller net proceeds alongside deposit amount and timing, financing evidence, conditions or subjects, closing and possession dates, inclusions, exclusions and other material terms. Use the same fields for every offer. Keep the seller’s decision separate from a spreadsheet rank.
This is a practical comparison framework for Canadian agents, not a national procedure for receiving or disclosing competing offers. Your jurisdiction, representation role, brokerage process and actual documents determine the required steps. The Offer Comparison and Net Proceeds workbook organizes up to five offers using this framework.
Set up the record before the discussion
Create a property copy from a clean master. Note the province or territory, the document version being reviewed and the seller’s practical priorities. Ask about a preferred closing window, possession arrangements, outstanding financing on the property and anything that needs specialist advice.
Assign each offer a neutral reference. Capture the written price, deposit, contractual trigger, dates, financing terms and clauses from the actual offer. Record what is missing rather than guessing. Keep source documents in the approved brokerage record system, and use only the information needed for the seller’s comparison.
Make a second pass through the inputs against the documents. A copied date in the wrong column can change the discussion even when every formula works correctly.
Calculate the same version of net for every offer
Start with price and deduct the actual seller-paid commission, applicable tax on that commission, legal or notary costs, lender payout and discharge amounts, adjustments and other included costs. Use comparable assumptions and identify transaction-specific differences. Our seller net-proceeds guide shows a complete fictional calculation.
A deposit is part of the purchase price, so do not subtract it again from the full sale price. If a payout quote already includes a penalty, do not deduct the penalty a second time. Mark missing costs for follow-up instead of quietly treating them as zero.
Keep a note of the source and date of every material estimate. Explain which costs could change with the closing date. The net amount is a planning estimate until the appropriate professionals confirm the actual figures.
Use a compact checklist for the terms
| Area | Record | Question for the review |
|---|---|---|
| Money | Price, commission, taxes, payouts and costs | Are the net estimates based on comparable, checked inputs? |
| Deposit | Amount, timing and stakeholder | What is due, when, and what remains unconfirmed? |
| Financing | Type, evidence and actual clause | Which property-specific lender steps remain? |
| Conditions or subjects | Short label, full clause reference and deadline | Who must do what, and how is the formal step completed? |
| Dates | Closing, possession and contractual times | Do these fit the seller’s plans? |
| Other terms | Inclusions, exclusions and special obligations | What cost, inconvenience or advice could this require? |
A financing dropdown is a label, not verification. The FCAC notes that mortgage preapproval does not guarantee approval. Refer outstanding financing questions to the appropriate lender or mortgage broker.
Separate the two ranking questions
A net rank answers which offer leaves the most after the entered costs. A weighted score answers which offer best fits the priorities and scores you entered. They can produce different leaders, and neither is a prediction of completion.
The workbook starts with price 40%, certainty 35% and timeline 25%. Those are editable starting weights, not industry standards. Agree on the priorities before using the results to justify a preference. Record the reason for each score so the seller can question the assumptions.
FICTIONAL COMPARISON
Maple offers $850,000 and produces $365,825 in estimated net proceeds. Cedar offers $835,000 and produces $391,108. Different negotiated commission and other costs explain the difference. Cedar leads this net comparison; that fact does not remove the need to review the terms.
Keep the seller view distinct from disclosure to other parties
A private comparison prepared for your seller is not permission to circulate other buyers’ offers. As an Ontario example, RECO’s competing-offer bulletin distinguishes disclosing the number of offers from sharing their contents under the seller’s written direction. It prohibits sharing the offer-maker’s personal or identifying information. Check the actual requirements for the jurisdiction instead of applying that example across Canada.
BCFSA’s offers-from-buyers guidance is another local starting point. The comparison worksheet does not replace required forms, brokerage records, notices or regulatory procedures.
Finish with the next action and a record
Review the summary with the signed offers available. Pause at any unknown cost, unclear clause or conflicting date. Explain any shortened labels on the summary and return to the full wording when needed. Present uncertain facts as uncertain.
Record the seller’s direction through the correct brokerage process, including any conditions on that direction. Then record who handles the next action and when. An internal note or score does not accept an offer, create a counter-offer or deliver a formal notice. After acceptance, move into a transaction and client-update workflow.