Due Diligence Extensions in Georgia Real Estate: What Agents Should Consider Before Writing the Offer
If it feels like you're seeing more Due Diligence extensions lately, you're not the only one.
We're seeing them in RHRE files too.
We're also seeing more contracts terminate during Due Diligence. Among RHRE transactions in August 2026, the average Due Diligence Period was 7.2 days, and 30% of contracts terminated.
Those are RHRE transaction statistics, not Georgia market statistics.
You can see the rest of our August transaction data in the September 2026 Georgia Real Estate Agent Update.
But when I look at what's happening inside our files alongside what's happening in the broader market, I think there's a useful question for Georgia agents:
Are we thinking about Due Diligence early enough?
Not when there are six hours left and everyone is waiting on a basement waterproofing estimate.
When we're writing the offer.
Buyers Have More Options, and Sellers Are Negotiating
There are simply more homes for buyers to consider than there were a year ago. In August 2026, there were 72,711 homes for sale in Georgia, up 6% year over year. We're also seeing an environment where concessions are common. Redfin reported that 72.8% of Atlanta-area sales in its dataset included a seller concession during the three months ending August 2026. That's Atlanta-area data, not statewide Georgia data, but it helps illustrate the negotiating environment many of our agents are working in.
We're seeing some of that play out in RHRE files.
Buyers are asking for closing-cost help. They're asking for repairs. And sometimes, while they're negotiating repairs on one house, they're still paying attention to what else is available.
Sellers may be willing to make concessions to keep a transaction together, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're happy about writing a blank check for every repair request.
Sometimes the seller needs time too.
And that matters when you're deciding how much Due Diligence time a transaction realistically needs.
A Short Due Diligence Period Doesn't Make Contractors Move Faster
A short Due Diligence Period may help make an offer more attractive to a seller. But once the offer is accepted, the practical work still has to happen. The buyer has to schedule the inspection. The inspector has to get there. The report has to come back. The buyer and agent have to review it.
Then something may need a second opinion.
HVAC. Roof. Foundation. Plumbing. Electrical. Waterproofing.
If the buyer asks the seller for a significant repair, the seller may reasonably want an estimate too.
That's where a Due Diligence Period that looked perfectly reasonable when the offer was written can suddenly feel very short.
Buyer Agents: Do Some of the Work Before You're Under Contract
One of the easiest ways to protect Due Diligence time is to avoid spending the first few days figuring out who is going to do the inspection. While your buyers are still shopping for houses, encourage them to research and identify several inspectors they would be comfortable using.
They don't necessarily need to choose one before they're under contract. But when their offer is accepted, they shouldn't have to start from zero.
And prepare them for the possibility that their favorite inspector may not be the right inspector for that particular transaction if that inspector can't get to the property quickly enough. Sometimes the best choice is the inspector the buyer trusts and who can get there soon enough to leave room for everything that may need to happen afterward.
Once you're binding, get that inspection scheduled.
Seller Agents: Consider What Can Be Learned Before the House Goes Under Contract
On the listing side, we're seeing more agents discuss pre-listing inspections with their sellers.
There can be a real advantage to discovering an issue when the Due Diligence clock isn't running.
If a seller learns about a problem before the house goes under contract, they may have time to get multiple opinions, shop estimates, schedule work and make decisions on their own timeline.
That's very different from learning about a defect through an Amendment to Address Concerns when the buyer is already worried about it and Due Diligence ends tomorrow.
A pre-listing inspection isn't the right strategy for every property or every seller. But if there are systems or conditions that may become an issue during a buyer's inspection, it's a conversation worth having before the listing goes live.
Give the Seller Time to Evaluate a Significant Repair Request
This is something I wish more transaction timelines accounted for.
If a buyer is requesting a significant repair, try to leave enough time for the seller to investigate it too.
As a practical transaction-management recommendation, I like to see at least two to three business days when possible for a seller to obtain their own quotes on a significant repair request.
That's not a GAR requirement. It's a practical recommendation based on what we see working across transactions.
Think about it from the seller's perspective. If a buyer presents an estimate saying the seller needs to spend thousands of dollars on a repair, the seller may want to understand the problem and get an estimate of their own before agreeing.
That doesn't necessarily mean the seller is refusing to make the repair. They may simply need enough time to make an informed decision. Sometimes a little extra time actually benefits the seller because it gives them an opportunity to show the buyer that a defect can be corrected and what it will realistically cost.
What If You Still Need More Due Diligence Time?
Sometimes everyone moves quickly and you still need another day or two.
Maybe you're waiting on the roofer.
Maybe a basement waterproofing company can't get there until Tuesday.
Maybe the seller wants a second HVAC opinion before agreeing to replace the system.
At that point, I think agents should ask one question before automatically extending Due Diligence:
What are the parties actually trying to accomplish with the extra time?
There can be a meaningful difference between:
“We need two more days of general Due Diligence.”
and “We need two more days to resolve this specific repair issue.”
I recently attended a Special Stipulations class with Cheryl King where this distinction came up.
One strategy discussed was whether, in the appropriate circumstances, the parties could allow general Due Diligence to end while preserving additional time to negotiate a specifically identified repair issue and addressing the buyer's ability to terminate based on that issue.
I'm intentionally not providing language for that here. The wording matters. The facts of the transaction matter. Agents should talk with their broker and/or a Georgia real estate attorney about appropriate language for a particular transaction.
The point is simply this:
Don't automatically assume that extending the entire Due Diligence Period is the only way to give the parties more time to solve one specific problem.
Remember What a General Due Diligence Extension Gives the Buyer
There's another reason listing agents should think carefully about what the seller is agreeing to.
The seller may think:
We're giving the buyer two more days because we're waiting on a waterproofing quote.
But if what the parties actually sign is a general extension of the buyer's Due Diligence Period, the effect may be broader than simply allowing more time to resolve that one repair issue.
And in today's market, the buyer may have other houses they're considering.
That's why the question shouldn't only be “How many more days do you need?”
It should also be “What exactly do we need the additional time for?”
If the Buyer Wants More Time, the Seller Can Negotiate Too
A request to extend Due Diligence is still a negotiation.
If the buyer is asking the seller to give them additional time, the seller may negotiate the terms on which they're willing to agree.
One option discussed in Cheryl's class was additional earnest money.
The current 2026 GAR Special Stipulations include SS 402, Additional Earnest Money, which provides a mechanism for the buyer to deposit additional earnest money and addresses the seller's termination right if that additional earnest money is not timely paid.
That doesn't mean every DD extension should include more earnest money.
It means agents shouldn't assume the only possible conversation is:
Buyer wants two more days. Seller says yes or no.
The parties are negotiating an amendment. What is the buyer asking for? What does the seller need in order to agree?
If additional earnest money is part of that agreement, pay close attention to the amount, deadline and current GAR language.
Know the GAR Tools That Relate to the Conversation
Several GAR forms and Special Stipulations may come into the conversation when inspections, repairs and Due Diligence deadlines collide.
They don't all accomplish the same thing.
GAR's F704 Amendment to Address Concerns with Property addresses concerns with the property.
F710 Amendment to Change the Due Diligence Period changes the Due Diligence Period.
And GAR's Special Stipulations include additional tools for specific circumstances.
Knowing what the parties are actually trying to accomplish should come before deciding which document or stipulation is appropriate.
One Special Stipulation Worth Knowing: SS 302
One of those tools is SS 302, Amendment to Address Concerns as Notice to Terminate.
This is a different concept from giving the parties additional time to resolve one specific repair issue.
SS 302 addresses a situation where the buyer has submitted an Amendment to Address Concerns and the end of the Due Diligence Period is approaching. Under the current 2026 stipulation, if the seller has not accepted and delivered the amendment back to the buyer by the stipulated time immediately before Due Diligence expires, the amendment serves as the buyer's Notice to Terminate immediately before the period ends.
It's one of those stipulations that's useful to know exists before you're staring at the clock on the last day of Due Diligence.
Use the current GAR language available through your authorized forms provider and talk with your broker or attorney about whether it's appropriate for a particular transaction.
Be Careful With “In Lieu of Repairs” Concessions
There's another party in this transaction who can get overlooked while the buyer and seller are trying to reach an agreement:
the lender.
Be careful about assuming that giving the buyer money or a concession is interchangeable with correcting an identified property defect.
If the documents essentially say, there's a problem with the property and we're giving the buyer money instead of fixing it, that may raise questions with the lender depending on the defect and the loan.
For example, Fannie Mae requires certain deficiencies affecting a property's safety, soundness or structural integrity to be repaired, and lenders may need documentation verifying completion.
That doesn't mean every repair request has to be completed rather than handled through a concession. Loan programs, lenders and property conditions differ.
It means involve the lender before you assume a concession solves the problem.
You don't want to find out during final underwriting that the way the repair resolution was documented created another issue.
A Home Warranty Isn't Necessarily a Substitute for Addressing the Inspection Finding
GAR also includes SS 712, Home Warranty (Buyer's Protection Plan), which can be used when the seller is providing a home warranty to the buyer at closing.
A home warranty can absolutely be part of the conversation.
But a home warranty and a repair resolution aren't necessarily the same thing.
Suppose the buyer's inspection report says the HVAC system needs further evaluation. The parties decide the seller will provide a home warranty, and everyone moves on.
Before relying on that warranty as the buyer's protection for the HVAC issue, talk with the home warranty representative.
Home warranty companies have their own contracts, exclusions, coverage requirements and documentation standards. Don't assume a system already flagged in an inspection report will automatically be covered if it fails later.
As a practical best practice, if the inspection recommends further evaluation of the HVAC system, consider requesting that the seller have it evaluated and/or serviced by a qualified HVAC company.
And keep the documentation.
If that system later fails and the buyer submits a home warranty claim, having documentation showing that the recommended evaluation or service was completed may matter.
The home warranty company should be the source for what its particular plan requires and what it will or will not cover.
Put Repair Completion and Receipt Deadlines Before Clear to Close
This is another transaction-management detail that can prevent a lot of unnecessary stress.
If the seller agrees to complete repairs, don't focus only on the closing date.
Think about when the buyer's lender may need documentation that the work was completed.
Depending on the loan, the property condition and the underwriting requirements, the lender may need evidence that required repairs were completed before the loan can move forward.
Fannie Mae, for example, has specific requirements for verification of certain repairs and permits several forms of completion documentation depending on the situation.
That's why I like to see an agreed repair completion and receipt deadline before the anticipated clear-to-close timeline, rather than language that leaves everyone with the impression that the seller has until closing day to finish the work.
If the seller thinks the repair can be completed the morning of closing but the lender needs the paid invoice or other documentation before issuing clear to close, you've created a completely avoidable problem.
Talk with the buyer's lender about what documentation they need and when they need it.
Then make the transaction timeline work backward from there.
Sellers May Have Other Ways to Handle the Cost of Repairs
Sometimes the obstacle isn't that the seller refuses to make a repair.
It's cash flow.
There are repair companies and programs that may allow approved work to be completed before closing and paid from the seller's proceeds at closing.
Terms, availability and eligibility vary, so agents and sellers should vet the provider and understand the agreement before relying on that option.
But if a seller is willing to address an issue and the immediate cost is the obstacle, it's worth knowing that pay-at-closing repair options may exist.
Before You Write the Offer, Think Past the Inspection
The takeaway isn't that every Georgia buyer should automatically ask for a longer Due Diligence Period.
And it isn't that every seller should agree to an extension.
It's that agents should think about what actually has to fit inside the period they're negotiating.
Can the buyer get an inspector there quickly?
If the inspection identifies a significant issue, is there enough time to get a specialist involved?
Will the seller have a reasonable opportunity to obtain their own estimate?
If the parties need additional time, do they actually need to extend general Due Diligence, or are they trying to resolve one specific issue?
If the buyer wants more time, are there terms the seller wants to negotiate in exchange?
If a home warranty is part of the solution, has anyone checked whether it actually addresses the concern?
If a concession is being offered instead of a repair, has the lender weighed in?
And if the seller is completing repairs, do the completion and documentation deadlines work with the lender's timeline?
Those questions are a lot easier to answer before the clock is running out.
What We're Watching at RHRE
Among RHRE transactions in August 2026, the average Due Diligence Period was 7.2 days, and 30% of contracts terminated.
We're also seeing a high number of requests to extend Due Diligence beyond the period originally negotiated. That's why this is something I'm watching closely.
Not because there's one “right” number of Due Diligence days. Because the period written into the offer needs to leave enough room for the actual work the buyer, seller, inspectors, contractors, agents and lender may have to do. And right now, we're seeing plenty of transactions where that work doesn't fit neatly into the original timeline.
If you're writing offers today, don't think only about how the Due Diligence Period looks on the offer. Think about what you're going to need that period to accomplish if the buyer actually gets the house.
Need an Extra Right Hand?
Right Hand Real Estate Services provides transaction coordination, listing and compliance support for Georgia real estate agents.
If managing deadlines, documents, repair amendments, lender requests and all the other moving pieces between contract and close is taking time away from your clients and your business, let's talk about what support could look like.
This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, lending, brokerage, home warranty or financial advice. GAR forms and Special Stipulations should be used in their current form through an authorized GAR forms provider. Agents should consult their managing broker, a qualified Georgia real estate attorney, the buyer's lender, home warranty provider and other appropriate professionals regarding a specific transaction.
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