How we won a Los Altos home at $1M over asking — and it appraised
North Los Altos, Los Altos Buyer· 2026
Listed just under $5M, with multiple offers in play and two of them right behind ours.
The work happened before offer day. We had prepped the buyers on where a home like this could land if it got competitive, so when the number came back at $1M over asking it was a decision they'd already thought through, not a shock. We'd also just written on another Los Altos home that went nearly $2M over and was closing cash, which gave us a live comp to support the appraisal.
They got the house. It appraised at our price.
The lesson: in a tough negotiation, the job is to get a real read from the listing agent on what it's going to take, then hand the client a clear choice. What it takes shouldn't be a mystery.