House purchase - Experiences with open bidding process?

A private bidding procedure is now becoming increasingly popular and is not an auction. It is a rather opaque process to play the interested parties against each other and, of course, to achieve the highest possible price.

Sometimes decisions are made based on whims or other criteria. Just a few days ago, a friend of mine bought a house through a bidding process. However, she was only the second-highest bidder. Still, she got it because the owner did not want to sell to someone from the village. For whatever reason.

There are no clear or binding award rules.

I see two possibilities. Pretend to be in an emergency situation to the agent and hope that he relents and maybe accepts a slightly lower bid. On the other hand, one could also take the agent aside and offer him an amount X in cash and without a receipt if the award goes to oneself. Such things work more often than you think. What do you have to lose?

A private bidding process is now becoming increasingly popular and is not an auction. It is a rather opaque procedure to play the interested parties against each other and, of course, to achieve the highest possible price.

I would then not disturb such people in doing business with those "of their kind" in terms of the understanding of seriousness. My dignity is not for sale for any sea view in the world.

offer him an amount X in cash and without an extra invoice if the contract is awarded to oneself. Such things work more often than one might think

Well, that's basically bribery, right? Or if the broker is not an employee but freelance, it's fraud (against the client) on his part and aiding and abetting fraud on your part. I would think carefully about it, if you don't have any moral concerns about it.

What is there to lose?

One's dignity and decency?

I know myself that such things are practiced less and less these days, but I prefer to live by the motto: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Or honesty is the best policy...

If I want to sell something without an auction, I think about a price that I can live with well. If then the sales advisor tells me and I realize, wow
.. the demand is high... Then at most I don’t lower my price any further.

But unfortunately, that is no longer the standard these days. In other areas as well, it is sometimes handled that way.

Acquaintances acquired a plot of land through a bidding process. They knew their budget and already had a fully planned house with calculated costs. So they bid the difference between the budget and the house costs. And they were successful. In the second section, three out of four plots went to a developer who built semi-detached houses on them. On the fourth plot stands a single-family house that looked perfect from the start, and two big, new cars with stars are parked there. The point is, in our city plots (and houses and condominiums) are in extremely short supply. A "bargain" is not to be expected. Either you want the property and bid what you can, or you have the "nerve" to gamble and will probably come away empty-handed. Someone will surely open their wallet. what is the situation like where you are? Are there many offers, and if you don’t get one, do you just go for the next? Or is it a "once in a lifetime" opportunity? Your behavior must be based on that.

I bought like that myself. Not in a bidding process, but under the pressure: the first one to bring proof of financing gets the house. That’s probably why I don’t have the optimal financing (the advisor had promised something significantly cheaper, but apparently the only responsible employee at the bank was on vacation for three weeks – waiting was too risky for me). So today I probably pay higher interest than in the optimal case, but: I have a house. And since then, as far as I have followed, there hasn’t been a single chance for me anymore (property within budget). What I mean is, I took the opportunity and overall I am absolutely satisfied.