a real estate purchase counter-offer is a response made by either a buyer or seller during negotiations for the sale of a property. most commonly, the seller will be making a counter to the buyer’s offer. the seller will make the counter-offer and include terms they would like to include. after sending, the buyer will have until the end of the expiration period to accept its terms. after the buyer signs, the counter-offer becomes legally binding after the seller has been made aware the buyer has accepted the terms. the property being discussed should be defined with its physical address, the type of structure (if any) on the property, and (if available) its legal description. this should be a complete record of any changes wanted in the pricing, payment schedule, conditions, and terms the seller wishes the buyer to agree to. naturally, the counter-offer will need to be subject to a time limit so that a response can be attained within a reasonable period of time. for this, document the final time and date that the seller will accept a formal response to this counter-offer. once this document is signed it will be considered a legitimate answer from the seller to the buyer’s original offer.