Vendite · 20 settembre 2026
How to ask for proof of funds without offending anybody
At the right moment it does not offend. At the wrong one it closes the door.
Realux · 5 minute read
The answer, straight away
Proof of means is asked for after a relationship exists and before anybody is let into a client's home. Not on the first call, and never after the viewing.
Put the right way it does not offend, because it is not about the person: it is about the commitment the seller made not to admit unverified strangers.
How to ask
The phrasing that works puts the responsibility where it belongs.
The owner has asked that viewings take place only with verified buyers. It is something we apply to everybody. A letter from your bank or your adviser confirming availability is enough, and everything else can be redacted.
Nobody is offended by a rule that applies to everybody. People are offended by personal suspicion.
What is acceptable to receive
A letter from a bank or wealth manager confirming availability, with no account numbers.
A statement with everything redacted except the balance, the date and the name.
A letter from an adviser or lawyer confirming on the client's behalf.
A mortgage approval, where the purchase is financed.
What can be redacted: account number, transactions, other balances, address, tax code. You need to know the money is there, not where it came from.
When to ask
After the second conversation, when there is a specific property and a viewing date.
Always before the viewing. Asking afterwards reads as second thoughts.
On significant properties, before passing on the address.
How to handle it afterwards: the part that exposes you
Do not forward the document to the owner. You confirm, in writing, that the check was done.
Do not leave it in messaging apps. A dedicated file, limited access, deletion after a stated period.
Tell the buyer before they send it: who will see it, where it stays, for how long. That turns an intrusive request into a professional procedure.
What to do when somebody refuses
Occasionally it is a genuine no, and that is information.
Far more often it is a question of form: offer the bank letter instead of the statement, or the adviser's confirmation instead of the document.
A real buyer finds a way. Somebody who finds none has just saved you an afternoon.
Want the wording we use to ask for it?