What happens if the seller changes my offer and sends it back in Ontario?
When a seller signs back your offer with any modification — whether to price, closing date, inclusions, or any other term — they are making a counter-offer rather than accepting your original offer. Legally, your original offer is extinguished; the seller's sign-back is now a new offer that you, the buyer, must accept or reject.
The counter-offer will contain its own irrevocability deadline. You can accept it as written, sign it back again with further changes (creating yet another counter-offer), or simply let the deadline pass, in which case negotiations end and neither party is bound.
This back-and-forth can repeat multiple times. Each exchange should be documented carefully, as each sign-back resets the terms. Keep track of every version, because the final fully executed document — the one both parties have signed without further changes — is what forms the binding Agreement of Purchase and Sale. If there is any confusion about which version governs, a real estate lawyer can help sort it out before closing.
Key takeaways
- Any change by the seller kills your original offer and creates a counter-offer.
- You can accept, counter again, or let the deadline pass.
- The final version signed by both parties without changes is the binding APS.
- Document every exchange carefully to avoid disputes about which version applies.