Offer Preparation Checklist

Real Estate — Buyer Representation

Applies To: Real Estate Virtual Assistants

Updated: April 2026

SOP-RE-BUY-05

1. Objective

This SOP defines how a Virtual Assistant (VA) prepares a complete, accurate offer package — every required document assembled, every field in the purchase agreement verified — so the agent can review and submit with confidence that nothing is missing and nothing is wrong.

An offer is a legal document. A single mistake — a wrong date, a misspelled name, a missing initial — can invalidate the offer or create legal problems. The VA's job is not to draft strategy or set terms. It is to assemble the documents the agent has specified, verify every required field, and present a clean package for the agent to review before anything is submitted.

Where this SOP starts: The agent instructs the VA to prepare an offer for a specific property, providing all required terms.
Where this SOP ends: The completed offer package is delivered to the agent for review and approval. Submission is covered in Offer Submission & Communication Protocol.

Success looks like: The agent opens the package and finds every document present, every field in the purchase agreement completed exactly as instructed, version labeled, and a clear checklist confirming what was verified. No corrections needed before submission.

2. Your Role & Boundaries

Offer Preparation Checklist VA Role & Boundaries

Handle Independently

Assembling all required documents in the offer package
Entering all agent-provided terms into the purchase agreement form
Running the field-by-field verification checklist before sending the package to the agent
Applying version labeling to all offer documents
Saving the complete package to the buyer file
Sending the agent the review request with a specific confirmation checklist

Requires Approval

Every term, figure, date, and contingency period entered into the purchase agreement — VA enters only what the agent provides, nothing inferred
Which form to use (some states have multiple applicable purchase agreement forms — agent confirms which)
The pre-approval letter version — if the offer price is different from the original pre-approval amount, a new letter from the lender must be obtained; the agent handles this, not the VA
Any addenda or special terms not in the standard offer package
Final approval before submission — the VA never submits an offer without the agent's explicit approval

Never Do

You never negotiate on the agent's behalf under any circumstances.
You never provide pricing, legal, or strategic opinions to any party.
You never sign or initial any document on behalf of the agent, client, or any party.
You never communicate directly with the other party's client.
You never fill in a field the agent has not provided — blank the field and flag it rather than guessing.
You never submit an offer to the listing agent without the agent's explicit approval — not even if the agent has reviewed the draft.
You never overwrite or delete a previous offer version — maintain all versions with clear labels.
You never advise the buyer on offer strategy, price, or contingencies — route all buyer questions to the agent.

Offer Preparation Checklist — Role & Boundaries

2a. What you handle independently

Assembling all required documents in the offer package
Entering all agent-provided terms into the purchase agreement form
Running the field-by-field verification checklist before sending the package to the agent
Applying version labeling to all offer documents
Saving the complete package to the buyer file
Sending the agent the review request with a specific confirmation checklist

2b. What requires agent approval before acting

Every term, figure, date, and contingency period entered into the purchase agreement — VA enters only what the agent provides, nothing inferred
Which form to use (some states have multiple applicable purchase agreement forms — agent confirms which)
The pre-approval letter version — if the offer price is different from the original pre-approval amount, a new letter from the lender must be obtained; the agent handles this, not the VA
Any addenda or special terms not in the standard offer package
Final approval before submission — the VA never submits an offer without the agent's explicit approval

2c. What you never do

You never negotiate on the agent's behalf under any circumstances.
You never provide pricing, legal, or strategic opinions to any party.
You never sign or initial any document on behalf of the agent, client, or any party.
You never communicate directly with the other party's client.
You never fill in a field the agent has not provided — blank the field and flag it rather than guessing.
You never submit an offer to the listing agent without the agent's explicit approval — not even if the agent has reviewed the draft.
You never overwrite or delete a previous offer version — maintain all versions with clear labels.
You never advise the buyer on offer strategy, price, or contingencies — route all buyer questions to the agent.

When in doubt: Leave the field blank and flag it. A blank with a flag is recoverable. A wrong term in a submitted offer can be catastrophic.

3. Schedule & Trigger

Trigger: Agent instructs the VA to prepare an offer for a specific property, providing all required offer terms (see Section 4).

Time-sensitive: Offer preparation is often urgent — in a competitive market, there may be a submission deadline or a multiple-offer deadline set by the listing agent. Confirm the submission deadline with the agent at the start of preparation and work backward from it.

Expected turnaround: In normal circumstances, complete the package within 2–4 hours of receiving complete instructions. If instructions are incomplete (missing terms), notify the agent immediately — do not begin preparation until all terms are confirmed.

Sequence context: This SOP runs after Buyer Showing Tour Coordination identifies a property the buyer wants to pursue. It feeds directly into Offer Submission & Communication Protocol.

4. What the VA Requires from the Agent Before Starting

Do not begin offer preparation until all of the following are confirmed. If any item is missing, send the agent a specific request:

Hi [Agent Name] — I'm ready to prepare the offer for [Property Address]. Before I start, I need the following:

- ☐ Offer price: $[amount]
- ☐ Down payment: [amount or %] / Loan type: [Conventional / FHA / VA / Cash]
- ☐ Earnest money: $[amount] — delivery method: [cashier's check / wire — within X days]
- ☐ Proposed closing date: [date]
- ☐ Contingencies: [Inspection: X days / Appraisal: X days / Loan: X days / other]
- ☐ Any special terms, inclusions, or exclusions: [details]
- ☐ Pre-approval letter — updated for this offer price: [confirmed / pending from lender]

Please provide anything missing above and I'll begin immediately.

[VA Name]

Do not infer any of these terms from prior conversations, prior offers, or general market knowledge. Every field must be explicitly confirmed by the agent.

5. Required Documents in the Offer Package

Confirm with the agent which documents are required for this specific offer. The standard package typically includes:

Document	Notes
Residential Purchase Agreement	State-appropriate form — confirm which form with agent
Pre-approval letter	Must match or exceed offer price — confirm version is current
Proof of funds	Required for cash offers or large down payments — agent provides
Escalation clause addendum	If agent is using one — agent provides the completed form
As-is addendum	If applicable — agent provides
Other addenda	Per agent's instruction for this specific transaction

Note on the purchase agreement form: Many states have a standard form from the state real estate association (e.g., California Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors). Confirm which form the agent uses during onboarding. Do not use a different form without agent confirmation.

6. Purchase Agreement Field-by-Field Checklist

Offer Preparation Checklist Purchase Agreement Verification — 7 Groups

1. Parties

Buyer legal name(s) match ID exactly
Agent name + license number correct
Listing agent name and brokerage confirmed

2. Property

Full street address correct
APN / parcel number matches county records
Legal description matches preliminary title

3. Price & Financial

Offer price matches agent instruction
EMD amount and delivery deadline
Loan type and down payment amount

4. Contingency Periods

Inspection period (days) correct
Appraisal contingency period
Loan contingency period

5. Dates & Deadlines

Closing date confirmed with agent
Possession date per agent instruction

6. Inclusions & Exclusions

All inclusions listed (appliances, fixtures, items)
All exclusions explicitly stated

7. Signatures & Initials

All buyer signature lines completed
All initial boxes on all pages initialed
All addenda fully signed and dated

Offer Preparation — 7-Group Field Verification Checklist

Enter every field exactly as the agent has provided. After entry, run this checklist before sending to the agent for review.

Parties
- ☐ Buyer legal name(s) — exactly as they will appear on title (confirm against the pre-approval letter)
- ☐ Seller name(s) — from the MLS listing or public records
- ☐ Agent/brokerage information — as required by the form

Property
- ☐ Street address — exact match to county/MLS format
- ☐ Legal description — from MLS or public records
- ☐ APN / Parcel number (if required by the form)

Price and Financial Terms
- ☐ Purchase price — written in both numerals ($XXX,XXX) and words (Three hundred...)
- ☐ Earnest money amount — exact figure from agent
- ☐ Earnest money delivery deadline — exact date
- ☐ Earnest money delivery method — cashier's check / wire / other
- ☐ Down payment amount or percentage
- ☐ Loan amount
- ☐ Loan type — Conventional / FHA / VA / Cash
- ☐ Interest rate (if specified in the form — typically a maximum)

Contingency Periods
- ☐ Inspection contingency — X calendar days from acceptance
- ☐ Appraisal contingency — X calendar days from acceptance
- ☐ Loan / financing contingency — X calendar days from acceptance
- ☐ Any other contingencies — per agent's instruction

Dates and Deadlines
- ☐ Offer expiration date and time — if applicable
- ☐ Proposed closing date
- ☐ Possession date — confirm whether same as closing or different

Inclusions and Exclusions
- ☐ Included items — appliances, fixtures, window coverings as agent specified
- ☐ Excluded items — any items the seller is taking that might otherwise be assumed included

Signatures and Initials
- ☐ All buyer signature lines completed (or left for DocuSign routing — confirm with agent)
- ☐ All buyer initial lines completed
- ☐ All required dates filled in
- ☐ No signature or initial line left blank

Cross-checks
- ☐ Buyer legal name matches exactly on every page and in every document in the package
- ☐ Offer price matches across all documents (purchase agreement and pre-approval letter must align)
- ☐ Contingency dates are calendar days, not business days (or per the form's specification — confirm)
- ☐ Closing date is achievable given the loan type's typical timeline

7. Document Version Control

File naming convention:

[Buyer Last Name] — [Address] — Offer_v[#] — [Date]

Example:

Martinez — 456 Oak Ave — Offer_v1 — 2026-04-21

If counter-offers are exchanged:

Martinez — 456 Oak Ave — Counter_v1 — 2026-04-22
Martinez — 456 Oak Ave — Counter_v2 — 2026-04-23

Never overwrite a previous version. Always save new versions with the updated number. The ability to look back at every version of an offer is essential if a dispute arises later.

Where they go: Buyer file → 05 - Offers

8. Agent Review Request

Send the complete package to the agent with this message:

Hi [Agent Name] — the offer package for [Property Address] is complete and ready for your review before submission.

File location: [link or folder path]

Please confirm the following before I submit:
- Offer price: $[amount]
- Earnest money: $[amount] — delivery: [method]
- Closing date: [date]
- Contingencies: Inspection [X days] / Appraisal [X days] / Loan [X days]
- Pre-approval letter: attached — amount $[amount], lender [name]
- Documents in package: [list all documents included]

Flagged items needing your input:
- [Any blank fields, items you couldn't confirm, or "none — all fields complete"]

Submission deadline: [time/date from listing agent — or "none specified"]

Let me know when you're ready and I'll proceed to [Offer Submission & Communication Protocol](#SOP-RE-BUY-06) for submission.

[VA Name]

Do not submit until the agent replies with explicit approval.

9. Checklist

Pre-Preparation
- ☐ All required terms received from agent (Section 4)
- ☐ Correct form confirmed with agent
- ☐ Submission deadline confirmed

Document Assembly
- ☐ Purchase agreement completed — all fields from agent's instruction
- ☐ Pre-approval letter attached — amount matches offer price
- ☐ Proof of funds attached (if required)
- ☐ All addenda included (if applicable)

Verification
- ☐ Field-by-field checklist completed (Section 6)
- ☐ All pages present — no missing pages
- ☐ All signature and initial lines addressed
- ☐ Purchase price matches across all documents
- ☐ Buyer legal name consistent across all pages and documents

Filing & Handoff
- ☐ Package saved with correct version label (Offer_v1)
- ☐ Package saved to buyer file → 05 - Offers
- ☐ Agent review request sent with confirmation checklist
- ☐ Agent approval received before any submission action

10. Tools & Access

Item	Details
Purchase agreement form	[Confirm state-specific form and source during onboarding]
E-signature platform	[DocuSign / Dotloop / Authentisign — confirm during onboarding]
Buyer file	[Google Drive → buyer file → 05 - Offers]
Pre-approval letter	[Google Drive → buyer file → 02 - Pre-Approval — confirm version is current]
Agent's preferred review channel	[Confirm during onboarding]