What is an essential characteristic of an offer?

An essential characteristic of an offer is that it can include an express deadline, which establishes a specific time frame within which the offer must be accepted. This characteristic is crucial as it provides clarity and urgency, allowing the receiving party to know how long they have to respond. By setting a deadline, the offeror controls the timeframe for negotiations and can avoid uncertainty about the status of the offer.

Having an express deadline helps both parties to stay organized and focused, ensuring that decisions are made in a timely manner. While offers can be made without deadlines, including one helps to solidify the terms and encourages prompt responses, facilitating smoother real estate transactions.

Other options have characteristics that do not hold true universally. For instance, offers can indeed have a time limit, and while it's common for offers to be made in writing, they can also be verbal in certain circumstances, as long as they meet legal requirements. Offers are generally revocable but not necessarily at will if a timeframe is specified or if a unilateral contract is in place.