Why Was the First Offer on Your Chandler or Tempe Home Lower Than You Expected?

Oct 13

A first offer on a Chandler or Tempe home often comes in lower than expected because sellers tend to anchor on what a neighbor got a few years ago, while buyers price off what's for sale right now and what the monthly payment looks like at today's rates. Homes are also taking longer to sell than they did in 2022, which gives buyers more room to start low. A low offer is the start of a conversation, so counter it, don't take it personally, and find out what it's based on.

Why does the first offer feel so low?

Usually because you and the buyer are looking at different numbers.

You're probably remembering the house down the street that sold during the 2022 rush. Maybe it went over asking. Maybe you heard the price at a backyard party, and it's grown a little every time someone repeated it.

That number sticks. Psychologists call it anchoring: the first number you hear becomes the one everything else gets measured against.

The buyer has a different anchor. They're looking at the homes they could buy this month instead of yours, what those homes are priced at, and what the monthly payment works out to at current interest rates. Rates change the math a lot. A buyer with the same monthly budget as a buyer from a few years ago may be able to borrow less now, depending on where rates sit.

Neither of you is wrong. You're just reading from different pages.

Is the Chandler market slower than it was?

Yes, and that shifts who has the upper hand.

According to Chandler MLS data, the median Chandler home that sold in 2022 was on the market for 9 days. So far in 2026, that number is 22 days. Active Chandler listings right now show a median of 48 days on market.

Those are citywide numbers. $1M+ homes in South Chandler and South Tempe behave differently from the median Chandler home, and they don't all move at the same speed. But the direction is the point. When homes sit a little longer, buyers feel less pressure to come in strong on day one.

Season plays a part too. Spring is the strongest stretch in the Phoenix area, and summer heat slows things down. According to Chandler MLS data, Chandler sales in July through September 2026 were 18.8% lower than in April through June. A typical seasonal drop for those months is about 13%. So this past summer was a bit softer than a normal one.

If your home went live in late summer, some of that low first offer may simply be the calendar talking.

What does a low offer actually tell you?

Sometimes it tells you the buyer likes to test the waters. Some buyers start low on every house. That's their style, not a verdict on your home.

Sometimes it tells you something real. One low offer might just be the buyer. If several offers land around the same number, or showing feedback keeps saying the same thing about price, the market is talking. That's worth hearing before the listing goes stale. I wrote about what that can look like in why a Chandler home doesn't sell the first time.

And sometimes the offer looks low but the terms are strong. A cash offer, or a closing date that fits your move, can be worth more to you than a slightly higher number with a shaky loan behind it. Read the whole offer before you react to the top line.

How should you respond to a low offer?

Counter it. Almost always. An offer you don't answer can't get better.

Don't take it personally. The buyer isn't insulting your taste in tile. They're trying to buy a house for as little as they can, which is exactly what you'll try to do on your next one.

Ask what it's based on. Have your agent call the buyer's agent and ask, politely, which sales they used. Maybe they're comparing your home to one that isn't really similar, like a home backing a busy road or one without your remodel. If so, your agent can point to better comparisons. If their comparisons are solid, you've learned something useful, and that's worth something too.

Then counter with a number you can defend. A counter backed by recent closed sales holds up better than one that just splits the difference.

It matters later, too. In Maricopa County, any loan above $832,750 is a jumbo loan in 2026, according to the FHFA, and jumbo loans often come with stricter appraisals. A price the sales can't support may come back around when the appraiser shows up. Here's what happens if a $1M+ home appraises low.

Should you lower your price after a low offer?

Not because of one offer. One buyer is one opinion.

But if offers and feedback both point the same way, take a fresh look at the competition. Check what's sold nearby in the last few months and what's still sitting. If you're competing with three similar homes priced below yours, the low offers make more sense.

If you bought near the top of the market, the math gets personal. I walk through how to figure out your real number in bought near the 2022 peak, can you sell without losing money.

And if you want to see what's moving in your area right now, the South Chandler market update and the South Tempe market update are good places to start.

Quick answers

Should I counter a lowball offer on my house?

Usually, yes. A counter keeps the buyer talking, and many first offers are a starting point rather than a final number.

Why are buyers offering under asking in Chandler?

Homes are taking longer to sell than in 2022, so buyers feel less pressure to offer high right away. They're also pricing off today's competition and interest rates, not past sales.

How do I know if an offer is too low?

Compare it to recent closed sales of truly similar homes and to what's for sale right now. Ask the buyer's agent which sales they used, then counter with a number those sales support.

If you want a plan for reading and answering offers before your home ever hits the market, I'm happy to walk through it with you. Call or text me at 480-448-2020, or book a time to talk.

Ben Graham

You’ve made it. Now you want a home that finally feels like it.

Since 2011, I’ve helped move-up and move-in buyers do exactly that across South Tempe and South Chandler. More land, more quiet, more character, without leaving the city behind. If you’re buying or selling above $1M in 85284 or 85248, you want an advisor who knows the ground, not a salesperson who knows a script.

That’s the whole job, and it’s the part I love most.

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Ben is a husband, father, and full-time real estate advisor based in Chandler. Since 2011, across more than 500 transactions, he’s guided buyers and sellers through the Southeast Valley’s best neighborhoods.

His approach is simple: teach the market like a teacher, protect your equity like it’s his own, and tell you the truth even when the truth is “wait.” Clear communication, a proven plan, and your interests first.

Most of Ben’s clients fall into two camps.

The move-up buyer who’s outgrown a great starter home in Chandler or Tempe and is ready for something that feels like an arrival. More space, more privacy, more character, same easy access to four freeways, great schools, and Sky Harbor.

The move-in buyer relocating from out of town who needs someone who actually knows which street holds its value and which one only looks like it does.

He also represents sellers across South Tempe and South Chandler who want their home priced right in week one and marketed like the asset it is.

Faith and family are the center of how Ben lives and works. He’s a follower of Christ, a husband, and a father, raising his kids in Chandler with his wife Sarah. The family is active at CCV, the kids attend Valley Christian, and they support foster care and adoption. One of their sons joined the family that way.

Clients often tell Ben his faith is part of why they trusted him with one of the biggest decisions of their lives. He doesn’t take that lightly.

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