Joel DyckReal Broker SK Ltd.
Saskatoon · From the topic map

Should I use an escalation clause?

An escalation clause can work in Saskatoon's competitive pockets, but it also shows the seller your ceiling, which can cost more than a firm number would in a quieter situation. With the city at 1.63 months of supply, whether it helps depends on how many other offers are actually in the room.

The clause automatically raises your offer by a set increment above any competing bid, up to a stated maximum, so the seller sees your top number as soon as a genuine competing offer is proven. The Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission requires that increment and maximum be written into the offer like any other term, and that transparency can win a multiple-offer situation cleanly, but it removes the negotiating room a flat offer preserves.

It only works as intended if the seller's side actually proves a competing offer exists rather than simply claiming one, so ask specifically how that proof will be shown before you rely on the clause. Real Broker SK Ltd.'s standard offer forms include this mechanism, but using it well is a negotiating decision, not a form-filling one.

Joel Dyck will tell you plainly whether your specific situation calls for one instead of defaulting to a template. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.

Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.

Still have a question?

Ask Joel directly. No form, no obligation, and a real answer even when the answer is that now is not the time to sell.