What's Your Lowest Price? How Estate Agents Should Reply

It is half nine on a Tuesday evening. A portal enquiry lands in your inbox: "Hi, saw the two-bed flat on Rightmove. What's the lowest the vendor will take?" No name, no questions about the flat, no request for a viewing. Just the one question that, in the buyer's mind, settles everything.

Every estate agent knows this message. Most have felt the urge to reply straight away with a lower figure, just to keep the lead warm. The trouble is that this reply rarely produces a viewing and almost always costs the seller money. In this article we look at how to respond professionally, protect the asking price and turn the question into a booked viewing.

Why buyers ask for the lowest price before viewing

Before you reply, it helps to understand what sits behind the question. It is rarely bad faith. Usually it is one of these:

Anchoring: the buyer wants to fix a lower number early so that the whole negotiation starts from there.
Fear of wasting time: they have already viewed properties that turned out to be well beyond their budget and do not want to repeat it.
Testing: they want to see whether the vendor is desperate or whether the agent folds at the first push.
Portal habit: they send the same message to ten listings a night and use price as a quick filter.

In every case, the question is a sign of interest. People who are not interested do not write in. Your job is to use that interest without handing over the negotiation before it has started.

What not to do

There are three instinctive reactions that ruin the opportunity:

Offering a discount on the spot: "For you, I think they'd take ten thousand off." You have just cut the price for someone who does not even know if they like the flat, and that figure becomes the starting point for asking for more.
A curt refusal: "The price is as advertised." True, but it sounds like a closed door. The buyer moves on to the next listing.
Ignoring it: leaving the enquiry unanswered because "they're not serious" throws away a lead that cost money to generate.

The principle: no price talk before value and qualification

Price only means something when it is set against value. A buyer who has never seen the property has no way of judging whether 325,000 pounds is expensive or cheap, because they have not yet seen the light, the condition, the outlook, the street or the service charge. Any number you give them now will be compared only with other numbers.

At the same time, you do not know who you are talking to. Do they have a mortgage in principle? Are they in a chain? Do they need to move in two months or in a year? Without these answers, talking discounts is negotiating blind.

The rule is simple: value first, then qualification, and only then price. And you can do this without dodging the question.

The 3-step answer

Acknowledge: show the question is reasonable. No defensiveness.
Redirect to value and fit: explain that price depends on what the property offers and what the buyer needs.
Propose a viewing: with two specific time options.

Phone script

"That's a fair thing to ask before you come out, nobody wants to waste an evening. The asking price is in line with recent sales on the street, and the vendor is open to sensible offers once buyers have seen it. So I can give you an honest answer, can I ask you two or three quick questions about what you're looking for? (...) From what you've told me, this one could be a very good fit. I've got Thursday at half six or Saturday at eleven. Which works better for you?"

WhatsApp script

"Hi, thanks for getting in touch. Completely understand wanting a feel for price before viewing. The asking price reflects recent two-bed sales in the area, and the vendor will consider offers after a viewing. To help you properly: do you have a mortgage in principle? And are you chain-free? I'll send you a short video of the flat now so you can see whether it's worth a look."

On WhatsApp, short messages work best. Answer the question, ask one or two qualifying questions and offer something useful (the video, the floor plan, the service charge and council tax band). Do not send an essay.

Qualifying questions to ask back

These questions turn a discount request into a conversation. Pick two or three, depending on the channel:

"What sort of budget are you working to?"
"Will you need a mortgage? Do you have an agreement in principle?"
"Do you have a property to sell, or are you chain-free?"
"When are you hoping to move?"
"What else have you viewed? What was missing?"
"What are your must-haves: bedrooms, garden, parking, location?"

The answers tell you a lot. Someone whose budget is 30% below the asking price is not a buyer for this property, and can be pointed to other homes on your books. A chain-free buyer with a mortgage in principle and a short timeline goes to the top of your list.

Justifying the price with comparables and market data

When the buyer pushes, facts are your best defence of the price. For every instruction, prepare a short sheet with:

Three to five recent sold prices for similar properties nearby, with price per square foot.
Competing properties currently on the market and how they differ (condition, floor, parking, outside space, lease length).
Average time to sell in the area and how prices have moved in recent months.

This moves the conversation from "how much will they drop?" to "why is it worth this?". A useful line: "Two-beds on this road have sold for between 540 and 590 pounds per square foot in the last six months. This one is at 565, with a private garden and a new kitchen. Worth coming to see how it compares?"

Show the value before you talk price: the property video

The buyer asks about price because they have not seen the property. The quickest way to change that, without waiting for a viewing, is to send them a short video. A 30 to 60 second clip shows the flow of the rooms, the light, the finish and the feel of a home in a way portal photos simply cannot.

With imovpro.ai, estate agents turn their listing photos into a professional video in minutes, with no filming or editing. Keep it ready on your phone and send it in your very first WhatsApp reply. It works two ways: the buyer starts discussing the home rather than just the number, and anyone who is not a fit drops out before wasting both your time on a viewing.

A simple message does the job: "Before we talk figures, have a look at this one-minute video. If you like what you see, let's book a viewing and discuss everything with the flat in front of you."

How to handle this with the vendor

You can only answer buyers well if you are aligned with your vendor. That starts at the valuation and instruction stage:

Agree the negotiating room in advance: the lowest figure the vendor would accept, under what conditions (completion date, fixtures and fittings, chain position) and what you are allowed to say.
Make it clear that this figure is confidential: it is never disclosed over the phone to someone who has not viewed.
Report the demand: how many enquiries asked for the lowest price, how many viewed, what objections came up. If lots of people ask about price and few book viewings, the asking price may be above the market, and that conversation should be had with data.

A short weekly update with enquiries, viewings and feedback protects the relationship and prepares any price adjustment in a professional way.

When the question signals a serious buyer

Not every lowest-price question is idle curiosity. Some signals point to a buyer who is ready to move:

They have viewed similar properties and know local prices well.
They have a mortgage in principle, are cash buyers or are chain-free.
They ask about the lease, service charge, EPC or completion timescales.
They want to view urgently or bring a partner or parent along.

With these buyers, after the viewing, your answer is: "If the flat is right for you, the best route is to put your offer in writing, with the figure, your position and your timescale. I'll put it to the vendor and come back to you quickly." A written offer commits the buyer, gives the vendor something concrete to weigh up and ends the endless back-and-forth of numbers over the phone.

Common mistakes

Revealing the vendor's bottom line to someone who has never seen the property.
Replying with a number and nothing else.
Discussing discounts in writing, where messages are saved and forwarded.
Asking no qualifying questions at all.
Offering a vague viewing ("let me know when suits") instead of two options.
Hiding from the vendor that many enquiries find the price high.
Accepting verbal offers instead of asking for them in writing.

Quick checklist

Agree negotiating room and conditions with the vendor before going live.
Have a comparables sheet ready for every instruction.
Have a short property video ready to send.
Reply to every price enquiry within an hour.
Acknowledge, redirect to value and propose a viewing.
Ask at least two qualifying questions.
Offer two specific viewing slots.
Ask serious buyers for a written offer.
Report demand to the vendor every week.

Frequently asked questions

What if the buyer refuses to view without knowing the lowest price?

Explain that the vendor considers offers after a viewing and that the asking price is in line with the market. Send the video and the comparables. If they still will not view, they were probably not a buyer for this property.

Can I say the price is negotiable?

You can say the vendor is open to sensible offers, which is very different from announcing a discount. Never give figures or percentages before a viewing.

Should I reply about price in the portal message?

Reply politely, ask one or two questions and invite them to continue by phone or WhatsApp. A portal inbox is not the place to negotiate.

What if the property really is overpriced?

Then the issue is not the buyer's question, it is the price. Use your demand data and comparables to recommend a well-reasoned reduction to the vendor.

Conclusion

"What's your lowest price?" is not a threat to the negotiation, it is the start of a conversation. The estate agent who acknowledges the question, shows the value, qualifies the buyer and proposes a viewing protects the vendor's margin and converts far more enquiries into viewings and offers.

Want buyers to see the value of a home before they talk price? Try imovpro.ai and create a professional video from your listing photos in minutes.

"What's Your Lowest Price?": How Estate Agents Answer Before the Viewing