Why ask for a seller concession on a home purchase?
James Craig
Published Apr 13, 2026
Both buyers and sellers pay closing costs in a real estate closing. This can equate to the buyer having to pay several thousand dollars more at closing on top of the down payment. Buyers can request seller concessions to help reduce the amount of cash needed at closing.
How do seller concessions work at closing?
Seller concessions are closing costs that the seller has agreed to pay. Sometimes, you can ask the seller to contribute to specific closing costs. Other times, sellers may simply pay a percentage of the total closing costs.
Can I ask seller to pay closing costs?
It’s not uncommon to ask the seller to pay for some, or perhaps even all, your closing costs. Generally, sellers can pay any of your settlement charges. This includes the amounts necessary to set up your escrow account.
What are concessions in negotiations?
Negotiation Concessions are also sometimes referred to as ‘trade-offs’ where one or more parties to a negotiation engage in conceding, yielding, or compromising on issues under negotiation and do so either willingly or unwillingly.
How do you do concessions in negotiations?
In building your concession strategy for a complex business negotiation, consider carefully the following guidelines.
- Never concede too early, too quickly or too much.
- Never concede without asking for something in return.
- Use “bundles” and “trade-offs” wisely.
- Always keep score.
How much should I ask for in seller concessions?
The FHA limits seller concessions to 6% of the loan amount. Should your concessions exceed 6%, it will result in a dollar-for-dollar reduction to your home loan purchase price.
Is a home warranty considered a seller concession?
Sometimes home warranties are lumped into the closing costs for a real estate transaction and closing costs are typically paid for by the buyer. Buyers will sometimes ask the seller to pay for some or all of the closing costs, but sellers are only responsible for these costs if they agree to these terms.
What does no concessions mean when buying a house?
It works like this: The buyer (or the buyer’s agent) negotiates the concession amount with the seller or the seller’s agent. Concessions don’t give buyers cash back at closing, nor can they be used to cover the buyer’s down payment. They’re strictly intended to reduce what the buyer pays at closing.
What can I use seller concessions for?
Seller Concession Limits Concessions can only be used to reduce the buyer’s closing costs. They can’t be used for the buyer’s down payment or for any other costs associated with the home like new windows or appliances. The buyer can’t use the concessions to receive cash back at closing, either.
What do you need to know about seller concessions?
Sellers concessions are contributions from home sellers to help their buyer offset the costs of buying a home. Often, concessions come in the form of credits towards the buyer’s closing costs. Buyers ask for seller concessions to reduce the amount of money they have to pay at closing.
Can a seller concession cover a down payment?
Seller concessions cannot cover a buyer’s down payment. Furthermore, the total amount that the buyer can receive will be capped based on their loan type (more on that in the following section). The maximum amount a buyer can receive in seller concessions is capped based on their loan type and how much money they put down.
What’s the seller concession limit on a mortgage?
Here are the seller concession limits for some common loans. The limit for conventional loans depends on how much you’re putting down: If your down payment is less than 10%, the seller can contribute up to 3%. If your down payment is 10% – 25%, the seller can contribute up to 6%.
What can a seller do to help you sell your house?
For example, they can help the seller get their home off the market faster. If the seller is eager to close on the sale, they may be willing to pay part of the buyer’s closing costs to speed up the process. On the flip side, asking for seller concessions might make you a less-appealing buyer.