Negotiating Tips- Be Courteous and Get More

I had a past customer of mine call the other night. She was in a panic and trying to negotiate a real estate deal that she and her agent were working on up north. In most parts of the country we are dealing with a much different market than a year ago and people who bought and sold in the boom are now finding a new paradigm coming into play when negotiating in a tougher market. Her dilemma was complex- she was a seller trying to muddle through the details of a very bad offer with many contingencies and complexities clouding what even the final sale would net my past customer.

I have another acquaintance who is working with an agent and is trying to buy a house in Sarasota. His agent is helping him write several insulting offers a week which are being met with mixed levels of resentment, rage, or indifference.

Both of these scenarios highlight a negotiation technique that is rooted in both common sense and decency: Focus on one goal in your offer. Sellers are feeling the heat of this market and will more often bite on a clearly written offer with a lower price than one with all sorts of confusing contingencies and negative clauses for the seller. Try not to insult already suffering sellers and put together a good offer with realistic terms and really go for it on the one front your are trying to gain ground on. Usually it all revolves around the lowest price so make sure that price is in the range of reality and go for it- but show the seller you are a solid buyer by offering solid terms and as few contingencies as possible. I have seen this technique be successful for both buyers and sellers as it eliminates the confusion of a messy offer.