Two offers can be only a few thousand dollars apart and still create very different obligations. The useful question is not simply which price is higher. It is what you must do, what the buyer must do, and what could change before completion.
Put both proposals on the same page
Create columns for price, deposit, closing date, conditions, access, contents, and costs. Copy the actual wording or ask your lawyer to explain it. Do not fill a blank with a promise remembered from a phone call. If one offer is only an email estimate and the other is a complete agreement, label that difference before comparing them.
Separate deadlines from intentions
A buyer may say it wants to close quickly, but the agreement should show the date and the steps required first. Note when inspections or document reviews end and when the deposit is due. If a condition can be extended, find out who can extend it and how. A timeline that depends on several unresolved decisions is different from one with fewer remaining steps.
Look for unequal assumptions
One buyer may price the house with all contents removed, while another allows you to leave selected items. One may expect vacant possession, while another has discussed an occupied property. Those are not minor details. Ask both buyers to use the same facts, or estimate the practical cost of meeting each set of expectations.
Ask one final comparison question
Ask each buyer: what could cause this price, closing date, or purchaser to change? Write down the answer and have your lawyer compare it with the agreement. A helpful buyer should be able to explain the process in plain language. Clarity does not eliminate risk, but it gives you a better basis for choosing than a confident sales presentation.
Your next step
- Compare complete written proposals, not just headline prices.
- Identify every unresolved condition and date.
- Have your own lawyer explain the differences before acceptance.
Compare cash buyers serving Ontario to build a short list, then ask each business for terms based on the same property details.