Buying a home in Calgary brings one big question. How much should you offer. As a full time Calgary Realtor since 2012, I have helped hundreds of buyers make this decision in busy markets, slower markets, and everything in between. The right offer is not guesswork. It follows a clear process I have refined through helping Calgary buyers for more than a decade.
Calgary moves quickly, and every property tells a different story. This guide gives you a clear and practical process so you can make a confident offer without overpaying and without second guessing yourself.
Thinking about buying in the next few months. You can download my free Calgary Buyer Guide . It outlines the full buying process, costs, timelines, and what to look for in each step.
Start With Recent Sales
The most important factor in deciding how much to offer is knowing what has actually sold in the past sixty to ninety days. List prices are marketing. Sold prices reveal the actual truth.
Choose properties that match the one you are considering as closely as possible. Size, age, location, layout, upgrades, and even micro locations can affect value. If you’re buying a condo, compare units in the same building or complex.
In markets that are moving up or down quickly, shorten your search to the past 30 to 60 days back so that you are only using reliable information.
What to compare
• neighbourhood and street location
• square footage and layout
• year built
• renovations and upgrades
• parking, garage type, and basement development
• lot position and size
Pay Attention to Days on Market
Days on market tells you how flexible a seller is likely to be. New listings behave differently than long standing listings, and Calgary buyers often react quickly when something fresh hits the market.
When the listing is new
• higher buyer traffic
• less negotiation
• higher chance of competing offers in seller’s market conditions
When the listing has been sitting
• greater chance the seller is open to negotiation
• past price reductions indicate increasing motivation
• homes listed a long time without reductions may not be worth pursuing as it can be sign of a lack of motivation
Evaluate the True Condition of the Home
Condition impacts value more than most buyers expect. Two similar homes can vary by tens of thousands of dollars depending on upgrades, maintenance, and deferred work.
Key items to examine
• roof age and exterior condition
• furnace, hot water tank, and air conditioning
• windows and insulation
• kitchen and bathroom updates
• flooring, paint, and general wear
• moisture concerns or past issues
Your offer should reflect the real cost of bringing the home up to standard, especially if major systems are approaching end of life.
If you want help choosing the right home style and understanding which properties hold their value over time, you can read my guide on the best types of homes to buy in Calgary.
Understand Calgary’s List to Sale Price Ratios
Calgary is known for tight pricing behaviour. The list to sale price ratio rarely swings dramatically the way it does in other cities.
As of November 2025 the citywide ratio is 97.5 percent. That means a $500,000 property often sells between $487,500 – 490,000. Even in slower years such as 2016 and 2017 the ratio held around ninety seven percent. And in strong seller leaning markets it often reaches 100%.
This means a seller expecting five hundred thousand is not likely to accept four hundred fifty unless the home is drastically overpriced or in poor condition. Understanding this prevents wasted time and frustration.
Learn the Seller’s Motivation
Seller motivation affects pricing more than most people realize. Some sellers have already purchased their next home. Some are relocating. Some need a long possession. Others want a fast possession. Some are testing the market. Others are genuinely ready to sell.
Signs a seller may be motivated
• multiple price reductions
• vacant home
• wanting a quick possession
• pressure from a pending purchase
You can also ask the listing agent what matters most to the sellers. Agents vary in how much information they reveal, but it is common to learn at least one helpful detail that can shape your offer.
Possession date often matters just as much as price, especially in hot seller’s markets where they worry about securing their next home.
Adjust Your Offer Strategy to the Current Market
Calgary moves through buyer leaning periods, balanced conditions, and seller leaning markets. Your offer strategy should shift with the market.
In buyer leaning conditions
• expect longer days on market
• expect more negotiation room
• expect more buyer concessions like professional cleaning etc.
Even during buyer leaning periods, correctly priced homes still sell close to market value.
In a balanced market
• rely heavily on recent sales
• submit a clean, respectful offer
• match possession preferences when possible
Balanced conditions reward well researched, straightforward offers.
In a seller leaning market
These are the toughest for buyers because inventory is low and competition is high.
• ask how many offers are registered
• check for a presentation date
• understand possession requirements
• shorten condition timelines instead of removing them
• consider escalation clauses
Escalation clauses can be powerful. For example, you may offer six hundred thousand and state you will beat any competing offer by five thousand up to a maximum of six hundred twenty thousand.
Possession flexibility is also highly valued during tight markets.
Use Deposits, Conditions, and Possession Dates Strategically
Deposits and conditions can strengthen or weaken your offer depending on how they are structured.
Deposits
• a deposit of $10,000 is common in Calgary for most properties in average price ranges
• larger deposits signal confidence and commitment
Conditions
Instead of removing financing or inspection conditions entirely, shorten the timeline. Five days for financing and five for inspection can be the difference between winning and losing the property when similar offers are competing.
Possession dates
If you can match the seller’s ideal possession timeline, you gain a major advantage. Sellers often choose the offer that aligns with their next move, even if another offer is slightly higher.
Final Thoughts & How To Get More Help
Knowing how much to offer on a home in Calgary becomes much clearer when you follow a simple and realistic process. Look at recent sales, note how long the home has been listed, consider its condition, and understand what matters most to the seller. When you base your offer on real information instead of guesswork, you can move forward with confidence.
You can also read my guide on the most expensive home buying mistakes in Calgary to avoid common pitfalls.
If you want help planning your offer or learning how the market is behaving in your price range, the section below has my guides, contact options, and more resources to support your next steps.
- 📞 Call/Text: (403) 471-4212
- 📧 Email: ryan@ryangillard.ca
- 📈 Request a Home Evaluation
- 🗂 Buyer’s Guide
- 🗂 Seller’s Guide
- 🗂 Relocation Guide
- 🏡 View Homes in Calgary
- 💰 Compare Calgary Mortgage Rates