Can I accept two offers at once?

What signing an offer does

An offer is made on a sale and purchase agreement. It becomes a contract when you sign it and that acceptance is communicated to the buyer. At that moment you have committed the property, even if the agreement still has conditions in it.

That is why a second signature on a second agreement is not available to you. Signing two live agreements for the same house sets up two parties with a claim to it.

What you can do instead

• Counter an offer. A counter offer is a new offer. The buyer can accept it or decline it, and the original offer is no longer on the table.
• Take a backup offer. It is signed subject to the first agreement not proceeding. If the first falls over, the backup steps up, and you are not left starting again.
• Set a date for offers. Where several buyers are interested, bringing them to the same deadline puts the offers side by side rather than one at a time.

How multiple offers must be handled

When more than one buyer is in play, the process has to be run straight. Rule 6.2 of the Client Care Rules says a licensee must act in good faith and deal fairly with all parties engaged in a transaction. Rule 6.4 says a licensee must not mislead a customer or client, nor provide false information, nor withhold information that should by law or in fairness be provided.

In practice that means buyers are told what the process is, and it is the same process for each of them. Every offer that is made is put to you. What gets said to one buyer about another buyer's offer is bound by those rules.

Choosing between them

The highest number is not automatically the best offer. What sits alongside it matters: the conditions attached, how long they run, the settlement date, and how much of the outcome depends on something you cannot control.

Accepting or countering is a legal act that binds you, so have your lawyer read the agreement and the backup wording before you sign.