Minimum acceptable offer (MAO)

Why it matters

The MAO gives a broker a clear line during talks. A seller with an MAO of $8,000 on a $15,000 asking price lets the broker negotiate without asking again at every step. It is often private, and a buyer should not expect to learn it. Do not confuse it with a marketplace's minimum offer setting, which only blocks offers below a floor and is usually public to the buyer. A common mistake is setting an MAO too high to ever get a response, or too low without checking comparable sales. Review it after real offers arrive.

Source: help.afternic.com