After Losing Out On A Condo Sitting For 220 Days, A First-Time Buyer Asks, Did The Agent Make Up Having Another Offer To Pressure Me?

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A first-time homebuyer recently took to Reddit to share a frustrating experience while trying to buy a condo that had been on the market for 220 days. Their post in the popular r/RealEstate subreddit sparked a heated discussion with responses from homebuyers and real estate professionals alike.
The situation raised a question many buyers have quietly wondered: Do agents lie about having other offers to make you raise your price?
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The buyer explained that they submitted an offer below the listing price but still above three recent comparable sales in the same building. Before submitting, the listing agent told them there were no other offers and none were expected.
'We submitted and they ghosted us until the morning of the last day of our offer,' the buyer wrote. 'The agent says, 'we received another offer over the weekend,' but wouldn't give any information on that offer nor would they decline our offer.'
According to the buyer, just one hour before the offer expired at 11 p.m., the agent said the sellers were going with the other offer. But a week later, the condo was still active on the market.
'Everyone is telling me it was a game,' the buyer said. 'Is that really a thing? People really do that instead of countering?'
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Many commenters said yes, unfortunately, this does happen.
'Yes. They lie. Not all but definitely some,' one commenter wrote. Another added, 'Agents lie all the time to try to get more cash for their principal, and more commission for themselves.'
Others shared their own similar experiences. 'I just went through the same thing!! The house has been on the market since last August. I put in an offer, and suddenly he had another offer at full asking. I didn't believe it, kept my offer the same. He says they went with the other buyer, but it was never changed in the [Multiple Listing Service], said another.' A week later, they came back to them and they got the house.
Some real estate agents chimed in to offer context. 'Not all realtors operate ethically or equally,' one said. 'In my state, we can request proof of competing offers, and the listing agent must provide a redacted copy.'
Others were more direct: 'I've been a broker for 20+ years, and agents lie all the goddamn time,' one wrote.Some commenters gave the benefit of the doubt. One real estate professional said, 'I've had listings that sit and then receive a couple offers in the same time frame. It happens.' Others pointed out that the condo may still be listed as active due to inspection contingencies or because the buyer got cold feet.
Still, the original poster remains skeptical but open-minded. 'To be fair, there are irrational people out there. Or people that can wait out a ton of coin flips,' the buyer wrote. 'I think I would have preferred to just have a number, even if it was ridiculous. That way we could have just been like, alright no thanks and good luck.'
For now, the buyer says they're keeping an eye on the listing. 'We're going to let it sit for another month and consider it, assuming it's still there,' they said.
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