Definition of "Ask price"

Nelson Montanez  real estate agent

Written by

Nelson Montanez elite badge icon

Brass Moon Realty

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!)

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Circumstance where no people or contents occupy or are kept in a building for at least 60 consecutive days. The same stipulations apply to property coverages as found in unoccupancy. ...

Construction materials from stone, brick, and concrete block. Masonry materials play an important role in providing structural support as well as being used as decorative finish surfaces. ...

When we talk about adverse environmental impacts, we always refer to the man-made negative impact on the environment. An adverse environmental impact can be defined as negative changes that ...

Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is a measure of the cost of credit that must be reported by lenders under the Truth in Lending regulations. The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) takes into ...

The term market segmentation is mostly used in marketing for assembling prospective buyers in groups based on their needs and their response to a marketing action. One definition of market ...

Buffer amount between the value of the collateral and the principal balance of the obligation. For example, if the mortgage has a principal balance of $200,000 and the appraised value of ...

Usually a fairly large site zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development and located outside the main residential area of a city. Industrial parks normally are provided with ...

Counter action by a defendant against a plaintiff. It is an independent action and just a denial of plaintiff's action. ...

The Real Estate Settlement Procedure Act (RESPA) is a piece of law passed by the US Congress in 1974 to protect homebuyers and home sellers against bad settlement practices. The Real ...

Popular Real Estate Questions