Ask Price
Definition of "Ask price"
Ask Price is the initial listed price for a piece of real estate.
It’s important to understand that, in the real estate world, there’s no such thing as a fixed price when buying or selling a property. Fixed price is a concept you can only apply when the product in question has scale, so you might have a fixed price on rental properties of a building, however, when buying or selling a property, the homeowner does not set a price so an interested home buyer can acquire it by merely paying that value.
It is more of a bargaining routine, where the home seller sets a price - the so-called ask price - he/she believes corresponds to the worth of the property. Then, it’s up to the interested home buyer to make his/her own assessment of worth - the so-called offer price - and make an offer to the home seller. If both agree to it - the so-called Fair Market Value - the house is sold.
Although the asking price is thoroughly studied by the homeowner and the professionals surrounding him/her - especially the agents and the Appraiser - the most common scenario is to have the home buyer offering a lower amount of money than the one the home seller set as the property’s asking price. When that happens, the home seller usually makes a counteroffer and both of them go back and forth until they can agree on a fair market value for the property.
There are sometimes when you’re in a Seller’s Market or the house is so unique, that a home buyer might make an offer higher than the ask price in order to secure the house. It’s rare, but it happens.
Real Estate Advice:
Take a look at our Real Estate FAQs. Maybe the answer to those frequently asked questions will help you understand the big picture better.
And check The OFFICIAL Real Estate Agent Directory® to find an agent to help you with whatever you can't find on our website (if that's possible!)
Popular Real Estate Terms
Property deriving at least 75% of the income from personal residences. ...
Funds that are retained in an account until a certain event occurs. For example, a downpayment on a contract held until full payment is received whereupon the holding funds are credited to ...
Same as term closing: legal process of transferring a piece of real estate to a buyer. Typically it occurs in the office of the lender, attorney, or an escrow company. ...
When we think of rural property or rural real estate, most of us think of farms, properties with large areas designated to agricultural land. That’s how rural communities generally ...
A right or interest in property held by a third party, which often limits the use and diminishes the value of the property, but usually does not prevent the transferring of title. The more ...
What is reconciliation in real estate? Both aspiring appraisers and wannabe real estate agents know the definition of reconciliation in real estate. In appraisal, it refers to the process ...
Commonly, a covenant refers to a legal treaty or agreement between various parties. Explicitly, a stipulation comes into existence and is signed to confine particular financial transactions ...
Process determining an individual's financial ability to meet the terms of a loan. When selling real estate, the sales broker must qualify the buyer to make certain he/ she has the ...
Any gain or loss from selling of capital assets. The gain or loss is the difference between the net selling price and cost basis. The two types of capital gains or losses for tax purposes ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.