Some things about the IFA process are so silly.

While waiting for an IFA to decide, an owner can slowing reduce their offer each cycle, find out where the competitor's bid sits, then beat that bid without much risk.

My suggestion is to please fix the IFA process to make it more relevant to the bidding. Rewarding owners who go big early would be a start. 

That is a risky strategy, I never lower my bids. If you were against me you would cost yourself a player if I had the money. I keep a close eye on opponents budgets to see who is adding money to prospect payroll and a cycle wont go by that I dont see the 1 or ? beside the IFAs name letting me know if I overtook a bid.