The Offer Form in NYC Real Estate (2025)

In New York City, buyers usually make offers to purchase real estate through their real estate agents, known as buyer’s agents. The buyer’s agent typically submits the offer on behalf of the client via email to the listing agent or the seller’s agent.

Although buyers generally make serious written offers and send them via email, it’s quite rare for a standardized real estate offer form to be used. Instead, buyers’ agents usually send an email to the listing agent that includes the basic terms of the offer in the body of the email. They also attach a mortgage pre-approval letter and a REBNY Financial Statement.

Although some listing agents or brokerages may ask for a custom offer submission form to be filled out, most listing agents won’t force the issue.

What constitutes a complete offer submission?

A complete offer submission typically includes the following items:

• Full legal name(s) of the buyer(s)
• Full address of the property being targeted for purchase
• The offer amount for purchasing the property
• The anticipated amount of the buyer’s down payment
• Any home buyer contingencies are to be negotiated in the contract, if applicable
• Specific inclusions or exclusions of furniture, fixtures, etc.
• Preferred closing date, if applicable
• A brief biography or professional profile of the home buyer
• REBNY Financial Statement (attached)
• Loan pre-approval letter (attached), if financing is involved
• Contact information for the buyer’s attorney
• Buyer’s debt-to-income ratio and anticipated post-closing liquidity, if purchasing a co-op

This organized list clarifies the essential elements needed in an offer submission.

In New York, and particularly in New York City, there is no standard real estate offer form. Most buyer’s agents simply submit an offer on behalf of their clients via email, often without using any specific offer submission form.

While some brokerages may provide their own version of an offer submission form and encourage buyers to complete it, many listing agents will not insist on this and will accept offers sent via email. However, any email offer must include all relevant details and necessary attachments, as previously discussed.

If a listing agent pressures you to complete a submission form, remember that you should never sign anything, as real estate offers in NYC are not legally binding.

It is unnecessary to use a submit offer form for your initial offer, and it is even less necessary to complete such a form for each counteroffer you make.

It is exceedingly rare for a listing agent to insist on a submission form for every counteroffer. This not only consumes a lot of time but could also discourage meticulous buyers in a buyer’s market, ultimately harming a seller’s chances of selling their property.

Typically, real estate sellers make counter-offers via email and express them in brief one-sentence replies to the buyer agent’s initial offer submission email.