There’s No Time Limit to Sign Back an Offer

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I had a conversation with a Realtor this week that went like this:

Realtor: “We need to get this signed back to the buyers before the irrevocable time!”

Me: Why?

Agent: “What do you mean why? If we miss the irrevocable, the deal’s dead.”

Me: “Is your client planning to accept the offer as-is?”

Agent: “No — we’re changing a few terms.”

Me: “Then you can send it back whenever. It’s not an acceptance, it’s a counter offer. And a counter offer is just a new offer.”

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For some of you, this is obvious.

But trust me... it's not for everyone.

Plus, refreshers are helpful.

Signback = Industry Term

“Signback” is really just Realtor shorthand.

In legal terms, it’s a counter offer.

And what’s a counter offer?

A new offer.

That’s it. Nothing more complicated than that.

When Irrevocability Matters

The irrevocable date matters if you’re accepting the offer.

If your client wants to accept what’s been offered to them, they have to do it before that deadline.

But if you’re changing terms — in other words, countering — then it’s a new offer.

You can counter within the irrevocable.
You can counter after the irrevocable.
You can counter two weeks later.

Nothing stops you from doing that.

That said, there is a negotiation etiquette piece here. If you counter long after an offer has expired, it might frustrate the other side or make them feel like you’ve moved on. That’s fair, but it’s not a legal issue.

So Why the Confusion?

Because signbacks feel like they exist inside the original offer.

You're often just editing the same form, adding initials, making a few small changes. It looks like we’re working inside the same agreement.

But you’re not. The moment you change the terms, you’re creating a new offer.

The Legal Rule That Matters

If you send a counter offer within the irrevocable period of the original offer, that counts as a rejection.

Which means you can’t later go back and accept the original offer — even if it’s still technically within its irrevocable period.

Once you counter, that door closes.

One More Point...

Some Realtors think once an offer is signed back, it creates an exclusive negotiation period.

That's not true.

A signback doesn’t stop the seller from accepting another offer. It doesn’t give the buyer “first right” to respond.

It’s just a new offer... and others can still come in.

Remember though, if a Seller has sent a signback (an offer) to a Buyer, this would prevent them from accepting new offers, since acceptance is no longer in their control.

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Misunderstanding how "signbacks" work can result in pressure and poor advice.

So here's what to remember:

• A signback is just a new offer
• You can make one at anytime, before or after the irrevocable
• Irrevocable only matters for acceptance
• The only legal rule: once you counter, that's a rejection of the previous offer

The more confidently you understand this, the better you can handle negotiations for your clients.