A sale or purchase proposal is a document the parties may sign before the conveyance proper. It consists, alternatively, of a manifestation of the owner's willingness to sell to a probable purchaser or a manifestation of a possible purchaser's willingness to buy from the owner: in both cases by acceptance of the proposal, believe it or not, the contract of sale is concluded and becomes binding for both parties.
Furthermore, the purchase or sale proposal is usually irrevocable: the signatory undertakes to maintain the offer for a certain period of time during which, even if he wanted to revoke it after a change of heart, he may not do so or, if he does so, the change is without legal effect.
Nevertheless, revocable proposals also exist that allow the signatory to withdraw, as do proposals that are revocable up to a certain date, after which it is no longer possible to withdraw.
The usual commercial practice is that agencies use pre-printed forms that on the one hand do not allow a party to modify the content of the proposal and on the other specify irrevocability so as to “block” the future vendor or purchaser.
Therefore, contrary to what is commonly believed, it is not so easy to withdraw once the proposal has been signed, since the proposal imposes obligations on the parties who have signed it.
The notary's advice is always impartial with respect to the individual interests of the parties and is certainly most useful before signing any document having to do with a real estate transaction.
He will be able to furnish all necessary information as to the nature and content of the document to be signed, so as to avoid unpleasant surprises.