There's no way to conclusively know that a lowball offer is a waste of time until you submit it. If the buyer is a serial low baller, they may find themselves without an agent pretty quick.

no agent knows that an offer is a waste of time.... that's guess work.... write it up and get a denial.... but you may be very surprised....

I've written them before.  Takes 15 minutes or so to write an offer and get it shipped out for signature, so no biggie.

Never a waste of time, some need a little education after a few offers, if they don't learn soon after a few offers, go on to NEXT.

Submit the offer. Share information with the buyer

If I am a Buyer Agent, I will advise my buyer that they are making a very LOW BALLED OFFER ... show them comparables and then write the offer.  Let the Negotiations BEGIN! IMHO

I have to admit, I've submitted Offers that I never thought, in a million years, would be considered, muchless accepted! Explain why you MAY not get a response and let the clients for whom you work submit as they wish!

Even lowball buyers get serious when they have seen the effort that goes into submitting a real offer.  Write it up and maybe the next one won't be so low.

I'm with Candice A. Donofrio and sending her bonus points for a great new photo! 

For me, no Offer is a waste of my time HOMEiZ.COM HOMEiZGROUP.  One never knows what a seller might accept, and low-ball Offers can be risky, but we never know the backstory of the seller.  It may just be 'the start' of negotiations, and that would certainly 'be worth' everyone's while!  I would never make that judgment for a buyer, as it is not up to me to decide if it truly is a waste of time.  I don't know all of the details, but I would let my buyer know that if his Offer is too low, that could easily offend the seller, so there may be no negotiations - that would lead me to think that the buyer wasn't that serious . . . 

It's not for me to say what the Seller would consider a low ball offer.. I woudl submit it and see what happens... hopefully the Seller will not take this personally, if he/she findis it a lowbal offer, and consider it a busienss transaction, and provide a reasonable signback.  I've encountered that scenario before where it really makes the Seller angry and they refuse to sign it back.. that is the gamble.

I have written low offers that I thought didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting accepted OR of getting a reasonable counter-offer. And I was surprised several times.

I will explain the market pricing/condition and if they insist on a very low offer, I will put it in anyway. Who knows what might happen?

Depends, but sometimes a low offer is the right offer.

Should do both, never know what will get accepted until you try.

In my market, it is more than writing and submitting an offer.  We need to read and acknowledge all of the seller disclosures and submit signed disclosures with the offer.  It can take several hours. 

I would not tell a client it is a waste of time.  I explain the market and what buyers need to do to get their offer accepted. If they are not willing to do that, then I cannot help them achieve what they say they want. 

In different markets, my response may likely be different. 

I feel like it is the duty of agency to write the offer no matter how I feel it will be received. That does not prevent me from counseling the buyer and trying to persuade the buyer that the offer needs to be more realistic.

Write it up..nothing ventured nothing gained! Let the chips fall were they lay..you might be surprised and have a happy ending!

Make the offer and wait for the response. 

When we have a legal representation agreement with a buyer client, we are obliged to follow ALL legal instructions given us by the buyer... that includes writing a silly offer, which is not an illegal instruction (just stupid). Yes, it might be worth discussing the pros and cons of writing such an offer, but if a clients demands it we write it. To me, an offer is nothing more than a door opening for negotiations and stay in this business long enough and you never know when what seemed like too low and offer gets negotiated out to an acceptable agreement for both buyer and seller.

You just never, ever know.  I tell every seller that "any offer is an opportunity for discussion"... & of course, negotiation.  So write the offer for your buyer and get the discussion going.  Share the data, educate, educate some more and then write the offer.  If a buyer is interested enough to get that far they'll either get a lesson or the keys! 

write the offer,, or they will find someone who will,

sometimes they need to learn low balling an offer doesnt work, and once in a blue moon, you might be shocked and they accept..

While you should discuss the issue of the offer, the asking price and the market, by all means write the offer. You never know where it may lead.

HOMEiZ.COM HOMEiZGROUP - if it is too far from the realistic offer,.I do tell them that it is not worth!

If you insist, I will still send the offer.

If they insist, we have to.  Sometimes this is how they learn lowball offers will not work.

The agent is obligated to submit all offers.  Discussing the terms of the offer with the buyer is also in order, but at the end of the day if that's what the client wants, that's what the agent should do. Of course, if there's no Buyer Agency agreement, the agent may feel there is no client relationship and may not feel contractually obligated to submit? Depends on state laws and how that "agency" relationship is defined - might be implied based on showing activity, in which case agent would have no excuse not to write up and submit ANY offer.

You write the offer, and we would present to the owner.  Ultimately, the seller decides, as an agent you present the offer.  A

The rule would be "come to Jesus". The exception would be the circumstances. Fine line between customer service and irrational behavior especially when it comes to money, greed, fear and power

It depends on how serious the buyer is. 30K off list is not serious - don't forget the client has to want the deal more than you for it to work!

Personally if I had comps I would not. You should write the offer for you client no matter what. There are too many circumstances here. 

Depends on the situation, typically nobody wants their time wasted with a crappy offer. 

Since when is it up to the agent to make that decision?

One of the questions that I ask a potential buyer who tells me they want a "good deal" is what do they think a good deal is?

If the answer is in "la la land"  I don't work with them.

However if you take on a buyer and start showing them properties, then it IS YOUR JOB TO PRESENT THE OFFER...

Eve

HOMEiZ.COM HOMEiZGROUP The agent has an obligation and fudiciary duty to present all offers. If they don't want to present an offer, they need to release the client from their agency responsibility.

It depends on the customer.  If I refuse to write the offer it will be by telling this customer that I'm not the right agent for his needs.

Candice A. Donofrio nailed this one!

As a buyer agent I would ask teh listing agent if any other offers were submitted and what was not taken. That is info most will share. As a listing agent i present all offers and have my seller counter all no matter how low

I do

If you don't ask the answer is always "NO"!

How low is it?  How long has it been on the market? What is the buyer's rational for the offer?  I'd rather write an offer and hear a "no" than find out later that the home sold for what we might have offered.  

If it's an investor trolling for whatever might fall in their lap, I probably won't as that's not my business model. If it's a sincere buyer where I might gain credibility with them for the effort, I might. 

I would write the offer and present it. However, I rarely have a buyer that low-balls. First, I have learned to separate the lookers from the buyers. Next, I  educate, pace, pre-qualify and lead the buyer to an educated buying decision. If you are good at doing this, you won't get many low-ballers. 

If a Buyer wants to write an offer, If the agent is a Buyer's agent representing the Buyer, By law you better write it!

I never miss an oportunity to start a negotiation

Write and submit the offer.