Offers over and pricing
Offers Over, Explained
Offers over is an invitation to bid above a stated figure. It exists to attract competition and produce a closing date, where all interested buyers submit their best formal offer by a set time. It is a marketing strategy, not a guarantee of a higher price.
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Why Scotland prices this way
Because the seller provides a valuation up front in the Home Report, buyers can judge value before offering. Marketing below or at that figure invites competition, which the closing-date mechanism then converts into best offers.
Fixed price and offers around
Not everything is offers over. A fixed price signals the seller will take the stated figure, often used where speed matters or interest has been thin. Offers around signals flexibility in either direction.
- Offers over — invites competition, suits properties with broad appeal
- Fixed price — suits urgency or a narrow buyer pool
- Offers around — used where the market evidence is uncertain
How closing dates work
Your solicitor sets a date and time. Offers arrive in writing, and you can accept any of them or none. Price is one factor; entry date, conditions and whether the buyer's own sale is concluded all matter.
The risk of pricing too low
An offers-over figure set far below the Home Report valuation can attract volume but also buyers who cannot fund the gap between the valuation and their bid, since lenders lend against the valuation.
Common questions
- Does offers over mean I will get more than the figure shown?
- Not necessarily. It invites competition, but the outcome depends on demand for that property in that bracket at that time.
- Must I accept the highest offer at a closing date?
- No. You may accept any offer or none, and conditions and entry dates often matter as much as the figure.
- Can a buyer offer before a closing date?
- Yes, and sellers sometimes accept a strong pre-emptive offer rather than proceed to a closing date.
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Offers over and pricing
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Published 2026-08-17 · Last reviewed 2026-08-17. General information about selling property in Scotland, not legal, tax or financial advice. Editorial policy.