How do I handle last-minute buyer repair requests?

Handling last-minute buyer repair requests comes down to strategy, not reaction. At Spears Group, this is where experience shows and where Jonathan Spears sets the tone.

First, remove emotion and identify leverage. Most late-stage repair requests are not about the repairs themselves, but an attempt to renegotiate. The question is whether it meaningfully impacts the seller’s net or the deal’s momentum.

Second, quantify everything. Get real numbers quickly. With the right vendor network and operational support, you can determine whether it makes more sense to repair, credit, or push back based on data, not opinion.

Third, protect your position. If the home was priced and marketed correctly, you have built leverage. That should not be given away without reason. Strong positioning allows you to hold firm when requests are excessive or opportunistic.

Fourth, control the solution. Instead of a simple yes or no, guide the outcome. Offer credits instead of repairs, limit agreements to major items, and keep the conversation anchored to the home’s original condition and disclosures.

Finally, tie every decision back to the seller’s goal. This is not about winning a negotiation. It is about protecting the outcome. Sometimes that means conceding small items to keep the deal intact. Other times, it means holding the line.

The difference is in how you handle it.
Agents react. Advisors lead.