By Jason Boice, REALTOR®, eXp Realty — Published September 15, 2026

You've listed your Marlborough home and received an offer.

The price looks good.

The buyer appears qualified.

But there's one significant condition:

They need to sell their current house in order to buy yours.

Should you accept it?

Maybe.

I don't automatically tell sellers to reject an offer simply because it includes a home-sale contingency, commonly referred to in Connecticut real estate as a Hubbard contingency or Hubbard clause.

But I also don't evaluate that offer based solely on the price they're willing to pay for my seller's house.

Because now there are really two properties I need to analyze.

Your Marlborough home.

And theirs.

Before recommending that a seller tie their transaction to another property selling, I want to understand exactly how much additional risk we're taking—and what we're getting in return for taking it.

TL;DR: Should a Marlborough Seller Accept a Contingent Offer?

A home-sale contingency isn't automatically a reason to reject an offer.

Before advising a seller, I want to know:

• Is the buyer's existing house already listed?
• If not, when will it be?
• What will they list it for?
• Does that price make sense?
• What is the condition of the buyer's property?
• Where is it located?
• How quickly are similar homes selling?
• Is it already under contract?
• Has it made it through inspections?
• What other offers do we have?
• How do the contingent offer's price and terms compare with our alternatives?

The risk can range dramatically.

A buyer whose home isn't even listed yet is very different from a buyer whose home is already under contract and through inspections.

My basic question is:

What is my seller getting in return for accepting the additional risk?

Sometimes the answer is enough to justify it.

Sometimes it isn't.

What Is a Home-Sale Contingency?

A home-sale contingency generally makes the buyer's purchase dependent in some way on the sale of their existing property, subject to the specific language and terms of the contract.

In Connecticut, you'll frequently hear this referred to as a Hubbard clause or Hubbard contingency.

The practical issue for the seller is pretty straightforward.

Your buyer may want your house.

They may be financially qualified to purchase it after their current property sells.

But if their purchase depends on that sale, your transaction now has another moving part.

If their house doesn't sell as expected, it can potentially affect your transaction.

That's why I don't evaluate a Hubbard offer in isolation.

The First Thing I Do: Look at the Buyer's House

If my Marlborough seller is considering a Hubbard offer, one of my first questions to the buyer's agent is:

What's happening with the buyer's current home?

If it isn't listed yet, I want to know:

What are you planning to list it for?

Then I look at the property.

I want to understand:

• Location
• Condition
• Price range
• Property type
• Competition
• Comparable sales
• Current competing inventory
• Likely buyer pool
• How quickly I think it can realistically sell

In some ways, I'm performing a miniature market analysis on somebody else's house.

Why?

Because my seller is potentially relying on that property successfully selling in order to get their own transaction to closing.

There Are Really Two Houses in a Hubbard Offer

This is the part I think sellers sometimes overlook.

Imagine someone offers you $625,000 for your Marlborough home with a home-sale contingency.

You might think:

They're offering me $625,000. Is that a good offer?

That's only half the analysis.

I also want to know:

What's the house they need to sell?

Suppose it's worth approximately $450,000 and their agent plans to list it for $449,900.

It's attractive, in good condition, and properties in that price range are moving quickly.

I might feel very differently about that contingency than if they intend to list the same house at:

$525,000.

If I believe the buyer's home is significantly overpriced, I'm going to be concerned about how quickly it will sell.

And therefore I'm going to be concerned about my seller's transaction.

Not All Contingent Offers Carry the Same Risk

I don't put every Hubbard offer into the same bucket.

There's a spectrum.

Highest Risk: The Buyer's House Isn't Listed Yet

This creates the most uncertainty.

We don't yet know:

• Exactly when it will hit the market
• How it will be presented
• What the final listing price will be
• How buyers will respond
• How quickly it will sell

That doesn't mean I would automatically reject the offer.

But I would want a compelling reason to accept that additional uncertainty.

Less Risk: The Buyer's House Is Already Listed

Now we have actual information.

I can look at the listing.

I can evaluate the price.

I can see the condition and marketing.

I can see the days on market.

And depending on how long it's been listed, we may already have evidence of how buyers are responding.

A properly priced house that just hit the market is one thing.

A house that's been sitting for 75 days with multiple price reductions is something else entirely.

Lower Risk: The Buyer's House Is Under Contract

This is substantially different.

Now the buyer has already found someone to purchase their property.

But I still want to understand:

Where are they in the transaction?

Have inspections happened?

Are there other major contingencies outstanding?

The further along that transaction is, generally the more information we have about the remaining risk.

Lowest Risk: Under Contract and Through Inspections

If the buyer's house is already under contract and has successfully made it through inspections, I generally view that as carrying relatively little additional home-sale risk compared with a property that isn't even listed.

There can still be other contingencies and issues in any transaction.

But these are clearly not equivalent scenarios.

A Simple Hubbard Contingency Risk Scale

HIGHER RISK

Not Listed Yet

↓

Listed, No Buyer Yet

↓

Under Contract

↓

Under Contract + Through Inspections

LOWER RISK

That's why asking:

"Does the offer have a Hubbard clause?"

isn't enough.

I want to know where that Hubbard contingency actually stands.

Does a Contingent Offer Need to Be Higher?

There's no specific dollar amount I require.

I wouldn't say:

"A Hubbard offer needs to be $10,000 higher."

It's completely situational.

Suppose we have two offers:

Offer A

$610,000
No home-sale contingency

Offer B

$615,000
Buyer's house isn't even listed

Is an extra $5,000 worth accepting that additional uncertainty?

Maybe not.

But now imagine:

Offer A

$600,000
Inspection contingency
Full appraisal contingency
Lower earnest money

Offer B

$625,000
Hubbard contingency
Buyer's house already under contract and through inspections
Stronger terms elsewhere

Now we have a very different conversation.

That's why I evaluate the entire offer.

What Other Offers Do We Have?

This is probably one of the most important variables.

A Hubbard offer doesn't exist in a vacuum.

If it's the only offer we've received after several weeks on the market, we may be more willing to work through the contingency.

If we've received three strong offers and two don't require the buyers to sell another property, the contingent offer needs to give us a reason to take on that additional risk.

That's exactly the type of situation we encountered at 19 Cheney Road in Marlborough.

Real Marlborough Example: 19 Cheney Road

19 Cheney Road is a good example of why I don't have a blanket rule against Hubbard offers.

We received two offers on the property.

One buyer submitted an offer with a Hubbard/home-sale contingency.

The other offer did not have that contingency.

So now we had a choice.

We could accept an offer where our transaction would depend in part on another home successfully selling.

Or we could accept an offer without that additional dependency.

But I didn't recommend rejecting the Hubbard offer merely because the word "Hubbard" appeared in it.

We compared the entire package.

And in this particular situation, the non-contingent offer was already the better overall offer.

There simply wasn't enough benefit to justify taking on the additional home-sale risk.

So we selected the non-contingent offer.

See how we marketed and sold 19 Cheney Road in Marlborough

Why 19 Cheney Road Is an Important Example

Imagine the Hubbard offer had been substantially better.

Or imagine the buyer's existing house was already under contract and through inspections.

Our analysis could have been different.

That's why I wouldn't use 19 Cheney Road to say:

Never accept a Hubbard offer.

That's not the lesson.

The lesson is:

Don't accept additional risk unless the overall offer gives you a good reason to accept it.

At 19 Cheney Road, it didn't.

We already had a stronger alternative without the contingency.

So there was no reason to make the sellers' transaction dependent on another property.

What If the Contingent Offer Is the Highest Offer?

This is where sellers need to be careful about focusing only on the headline number.

Suppose your Marlborough home is listed at $599,900 and you receive:

Offer #1: $620,000, non-contingent

and

Offer #2: $630,000, Hubbard contingency

The $630,000 offer is obviously higher.

But I still don't know which offer I'd recommend.

First, I want to investigate the buyer's house.

If it's already under contract and through inspections, that extra $10,000 may be very attractive.

If it isn't listed yet and their planned asking price appears unrealistic, the additional $10,000 might not be worth tying up my seller's transaction.

We need to understand the risk-adjusted value of the offer, not simply the purchase price.

Why Timing Matters to a Marlborough Seller

There's another potential cost that doesn't show up directly on an offer sheet:

Time.

Suppose we accept a contingent offer and then wait several weeks for the buyer's house to sell.

During that time, other buyers may move on.

Market conditions can change.

The seller may continue paying:

• Mortgage
• Property taxes
• Insurance
• Utilities
• Maintenance
• Other carrying expenses

If the buyer's home ultimately doesn't sell and the transaction can't proceed under the applicable contract terms, we've also lost time.

That's part of the risk calculation.

What If You're Also Buying Another House?

This can make the decision even more important.

If my Marlborough seller is also purchasing another property, we may now have a chain:

Their buyer needs to sell

→

so my seller can sell

→

so my seller can buy their next house.

The more dependent transactions we stack together, the more moving pieces we have.

That doesn't mean it can't work.

I've coordinated plenty of transactions involving people buying and selling simultaneously.

But we need to understand the dependencies before agreeing to them.

Can You Continue Marketing a House After Accepting a Hubbard Offer?

This depends on the specific contract language and circumstances.

Connecticut Hubbard clauses can contain provisions addressing continued marketing, subsequent offers, deadlines, and the buyer's rights and obligations.

This is an area where the exact contract language matters.

Your Realtor can help explain the practical real estate implications, while your Connecticut real estate attorney should advise you regarding the legal effect of the specific Hubbard language in your contract.

I would not assume that every Hubbard clause works exactly the same way.

What Should a Seller Ask Before Accepting a Contingent Offer?

If you're considering one, these are the questions I'd want answered:

About the Buyer's Property

Is it listed?

What is the asking price?

Does that price appear realistic?

How long has it been on the market?

What condition is it in?

How quickly are similar properties selling?

Is it already under contract?

Have inspections been completed?

About the Offer on Your Home

How does the purchase price compare with our alternatives?

What are the inspection terms?

What are the appraisal terms?

What financing is the buyer using?

How much earnest money are they putting down?

Are they requesting seller credits?

What buyer-agent compensation are they requesting?

What's the proposed closing date?

Then Ask the Most Important Question

Is this offer strong enough to justify the additional dependency?

What If the Buyer's House Looks Difficult to Sell?

That's a significant concern.

If I look at the buyer's property and think:

This is priced too high.

or:

This type of property has a very limited buyer pool.

or:

Similar houses are taking months to sell.

I'm going to tell my seller that.

The buyer's agent may be confident their property will sell.

That's useful information.

But I still want to independently look at the property and market.

My responsibility is to advise my seller.

If we're going to depend on another property selling, I want to form my own opinion about how realistic that is.

What If the Buyer's House Looks Very Sellable?

Then I may be perfectly comfortable recommending the contingent offer if the rest of the terms make sense.

Imagine the buyer's house:

• Is already listed
• Is competitively priced
• Shows beautifully
• Is in a high-demand price range
• Has strong early activity

That's a very different risk profile.

And if it's already under contract and through inspections, the remaining home-sale risk may be relatively small.

Again:

Contingent doesn't automatically mean bad.

It means we have another variable to evaluate.

Don't Confuse Certainty With Price

When sellers receive multiple offers, price naturally gets the most attention.

I understand why.

But my job is to help a seller evaluate more than that.

I'm looking at:

Price

Net proceeds

Financing

Inspection terms

Appraisal risk

Earnest money

Seller credits

Buyer-agent compensation

Closing date

Home-sale contingencies

Likelihood of closing

Sometimes the highest offer is absolutely the best offer.

Sometimes it isn't.

So, Should You Accept a Contingent Offer in Marlborough?

Potentially.

I wouldn't reject a good buyer simply because they need to sell another house.

But before recommending that my seller accept the offer, I want to understand the risk we're assuming.

If the buyer's home isn't even listed yet, that's meaningful.

If it's listed but appears overpriced, that's meaningful.

If it's under contract and through inspections, that's meaningful too—in a positive way.

And then we compare the contingent offer against whatever alternatives we have.

At 19 Cheney Road, we had two offers and the non-contingent offer was already the better overall offer.

There was no reason to take on additional risk.

Another Marlborough seller could face a completely different situation.

That's why the answer isn't:

Always reject Hubbard offers.

or:

Always take the highest price.

It's:

Understand exactly what you're accepting, compare it with your alternatives, and decide whether you're being adequately compensated for the additional risk.

Thinking About Selling Your Marlborough Home?

If you're preparing to sell, offer strategy matters long before the first offer arrives.

Pricing and marketing determine how much competition we create.

Competition determines how many options you have.

And then we still have to identify which option is actually best.

When I help a Marlborough seller compare offers, I'm not simply sorting them from highest to lowest.

I'm evaluating price, net proceeds, contingencies, financing, appraisal exposure, inspection terms, home-sale dependencies, and the likelihood of getting all the way to closing.

If you're thinking about selling and want to discuss what your home may be worth and how I'd position it:

Call or text Jason Boice at 860-452-3153 for a no-pressure consultation.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a contingent offer in Connecticut real estate?

A contingent offer is an offer whose completion depends on one or more specified conditions. A home-sale contingency, often called a Hubbard contingency or Hubbard clause in Connecticut, can make the buyer's purchase dependent on the sale of their existing property according to the contract terms.

Should I accept a Hubbard offer on my Marlborough home?

It depends on the entire offer and the status of the buyer's existing property. Jason considers the offer's price and terms, competing offers, whether the buyer's property is listed or under contract, its likely marketability, and how much additional risk the contingency creates.

Is a Hubbard offer a bad offer?

No. A Hubbard offer isn't automatically bad. A buyer whose property is already under contract and through inspections may present considerably less home-sale risk than a buyer whose property hasn't even been listed.

What is the riskiest type of home-sale contingency?

Generally, Jason considers a buyer whose home hasn't yet been listed to present the most uncertainty because there isn't yet actual market evidence about how buyers will respond to the property.

What is the least risky type of Hubbard contingency?

A buyer whose existing home is already under contract and through inspections generally presents relatively little additional home-sale risk compared with earlier stages, although other contractual and financing risks can remain.

Should a contingent offer be higher than a non-contingent offer?

There is no specific amount by which a contingent offer must be higher. Jason evaluates the additional risk, the status and marketability of the buyer's property, and the price and terms of any competing offers.

What should my Realtor investigate before I accept a Hubbard offer?

Jason looks at the buyer's existing property, proposed or current asking price, condition, location, comparable sales, days on market, competing inventory, likely buyer demand, contract status, inspection status, and other factors that may indicate how likely the property is to sell successfully.

Is the highest offer always the best offer?

No. Sellers should evaluate purchase price along with financing, inspections, appraisal terms, earnest money, seller credits, buyer-agent compensation, closing date, home-sale contingencies, and the overall probability of reaching closing.

What happened at 19 Cheney Road in Marlborough?

The sellers received two offers. One contained a Hubbard/home-sale contingency and the other did not. After comparing the complete price, terms, and risk of both offers, the non-contingent offer was the better overall offer, so the sellers did not accept the Hubbard offer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason Boice is a REALTOR® with eXp Realty serving Marlborough, Hebron, Andover, Colchester, East Hampton, Columbia, and surrounding Connecticut communities.

Jason helps sellers evaluate competing offers based on the complete transaction—not simply purchase price—including financing, inspections, appraisal exposure, seller credits, buyer-agent compensation, home-sale contingencies, and estimated net proceeds.

Call or text Jason at 860-452-3153.