next time, if you decide you wanna buy already, pay the 2% and sign the offer letter immediately.

start doing your research from now on standard clauses in offer letters to familiarise yourself with it. then when the time comes, you can sign it on the spot and give the cheque.

i have even had 1 experience where i viewed a house, paid the 2% on the spot, and the agent returned my cheque to me the next day because the house was sold 3 days prior to that. i screwed the agent up for showing me a house that was already sold.