How should I frame a 12%-below offer on a Montreal new-build flat?

S

small_quill

First-time buyer
Established
I’m looking at a new-build flat in Montreal listed for C$897,800. It has been available for 56 days and still needs some updating. Nearby asking prices are similar, but I cannot find enough completed sales to judge where buyers are actually closing.

I’m considering opening 12% below asking, supported by financing proof and flexibility on completion. How would you explain the figure without antagonising the seller? I also do not want to waive inspection or take open-ended financing, appraisal-gap or deposit risk.
 
Twelve per cent is aggressive, but not insulting if the offer is otherwise credible. Keep the explanation short: limited completed evidence, the updating required, and your ability to accommodate the seller’s timing. Financing proof helps more than a long argument about value.

I would retain financing and inspection protection, with clear deadlines. Also ask what matters besides price. After 56 days, the seller may value certainty or a particular completion date.
 
That makes sense. I don’t know the seller’s motivation yet, so I’ll ask before fixing the completion date. Would you use a short response deadline to keep the negotiation moving, or could that undermine the flexible tone? I’m also wary of offering a larger deposit merely to make the low price look stronger.
 
I would not make the deadline too tight. A low opening price plus time pressure can feel more antagonistic than the percentage itself. Give them enough time to consider it, while avoiding an offer that sits open indefinitely.

And I disagree slightly on emphasising “updating” unless you can identify and price the work. For a new-build flat, vague repair language is easy to dismiss. Use inspection findings later to request specific repairs or credits rather than trying to preload every concern into the opening offer.
 
Before submitting, try to obtain the best available completed comparables, not just current listings, and ask whether any earlier deal failed over financing, inspection or appraisal. You may not get an answer, but it could clarify the 56 days.

Structure the offer so financing proof demonstrates seriousness without removing the financing condition. Make sure the appraisal-gap and deposit consequences are understood under the Quebec contract being used. If the seller counters, compare a lower price with repair credits carefully; credits are less useful if the lender or contract limits how they work.
 
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