If you are selling your home, you should be prepared for the day your first offer comes in. When your real estate agent calls to say there is an offer on your home, you will naturally get excited. When your agent describes the offer, you will probably experience an adrenaline rush. Whether the offer is good or bad, you should just remain calm--and discuss a counter-offer with your agent. The negotiations of a purchase begin with the buyer's ideal terms and a counter offer that communicates the seller's ideal terms.

A good agent will look beyond the price when evaluating an offer. If the buyers' financial qualifications are shaky or the offer includes potentially problematic terms or conditions, your real estate agent should be there to minimize any risk to you and to address these items in your counter-offer. Your agent's job is not to make a decision for you, but to be sure that you understand fully what the offer includes and what is expected.