Strengthen your terms alongside your price: a shorter or removed condition period, a larger deposit, and a possession date matched to what the seller needs can carry real weight even against a higher price with weaker conditions.
Get financing pre-approval confirmed before the deadline, not during it, since a highest and best call moves fast and a seller choosing between similar offers will lean toward the one with financing already locked down.
Bid your real number, backed by real comparables, rather than a figure driven by the fear of losing. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.