10 Inspection Repair Request Scripts for Sellers
October 08, 2026 · 5 min read
The inspection report lands on a Tuesday, your seller reads it as a personal attack, and the buyer's agent wants an answer in 48 hours.
1. Triage the report first
You are a listing agent's transaction coordinator. Below is the inspection report for [ADDRESS], under contract at [PRICE]. Sort every item into three buckets: (1) lender-required or health/safety, (2) material defects a buyer will re-negotiate over, (3) cosmetic or deferred maintenance. For each item give a one-line reason and a rough cost range in [MARKET]. Keep it under 300 words so I can text it to my seller.
Write a decision memo on the buyer's repair request for [ADDRESS]. They are asking for $[REQUEST] in credits. My seller's situation: [SELLER SITUATION]. Days to closing: [DAYS]. Compare three options — make the repairs, offer a credit, hold firm — with the risk of the deal falling apart on each. End with the exact counter number I should send and one sentence I can say out loud to my seller.
My seller's estimated net at [PRICE] is $[NET] after commissions and seller closing costs. The buyer is asking for $[REQUEST]. Show three counter scenarios — $[LOW], $[MID], $[HIGH] — with the resulting net for each. Then give me a two-sentence script for presenting each one to my seller. Numbers only, no tax or lending commentary.
2. Scripts for the seller conversation
Role-play as my seller at [ADDRESS]. They just read the inspection report and think the buyer is nitpicking. Write a 150-word phone script I can use as the listing agent: acknowledge the frustration, separate lender-required items from cosmetic ones, and land on a decision. Do not have me promise anything about the buyer's financing. Tone: calm, direct, no jargon.
Write a text message to [CLIENT NAME] explaining that the buyer's inspection request came in at $[REQUEST] and we have until [DATE] to respond. Assume they are anxious. Two short paragraphs, no bullet points, no speculation about whether the buyer will walk.
Write a script for telling [CLIENT NAME] that we are holding firm on the buyer's cosmetic requests and offering only $[AMOUNT] toward [SPECIFIC ITEM]. Include one sentence explaining the reasoning in plain English and one sentence on what happens next if the buyer pushes back.
3. Messages to the buyer's agent
Short, in writing, with a date attached.
Write an email to the buyer's agent on [ADDRESS]. We are declining the cosmetic items on their repair request and offering $[AMOUNT] as a credit toward [ITEM]. Keep it to four sentences, professional and non-defensive, and close by asking them to confirm the buyer's acceptance in writing by [DATE/TIME].
Write a four-sentence email asking the buyer's agent for itemized documentation behind the $[REQUEST] repair ask, including any licensed contractor estimates they already have. Tone: cooperative, not adversarial. Do not reference the buyer's loan type or their personal situation.
4. Deadlines and signatures
Deadlines are where deals slip.
Draft a follow-up email to the buyer's agent at [BROKERAGE] because we have not received their signed response to our counter. Reference our response sent on [DATE], the contractual deadline of [DATE], and ask for a status update in one sentence. Professional, no threats.
Turn this repair addendum into a plain-English summary my seller can read before signing. Include what we agreed to pay, what the buyer agreed to accept, the deadline for [ACTION], and who schedules the contractor. Bullet points, under 200 words. Flag anything that still needs the seller's signature or initials.
Pro tips
- Calendar the response deadline the day the report arrives, not the day your seller calls back. Many contract forms give the seller three to five days to respond, and silence can count as a rejection.
- Check the buyer's loan type before you negotiate: lender-required repairs usually cannot be swapped for a credit, because the work has to be completed and re-inspected before closing.
- Decision rule: use the credit script when the seller is price-anchored or the item is cosmetic; use the repair script when the item is lender-required or safety-related.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a seller offer in repair credits after a home inspection?
Most sellers counter somewhere between 30% and 100% of the buyer's ask, weighted toward lender-required and safety items. Price the items with a contractor, drop the cosmetic ones, and offer a number that protects your seller's net.
Can a seller refuse to make repairs after the inspection?
Yes. In most contract forms the seller is not obligated to repair anything, and the buyer's remedy is to terminate or renegotiate within the inspection window. Never let the deadline pass without a written response.
What's the best way to write an inspection response as a listing agent?
Answer item by item, state what the seller will and will not do, put the dollar amount in the subject line, and give a hard response deadline. Keep it in email or the transaction platform so every counter is documented.
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