A frequent buyer tactic is to assume a “let’s not play games here” attitude and say something like, “Let’s not dicker around. What’s the offer you have told yourself you will accept to sell this house?” Buyers have surely considered “what they would accept for the house,” however, starting there is not going to get you your price. This is a trap to well avoid. A good answer is “I’d accept an offer of my asking price right now. What are you offering?” This response puts the ball back in the buyer’s court to make an offer, which is the place the seller wants it to be. Hearing the offer from the buyer allows the seller negotiating room. The seller can accept, reject, counteroffer, or take it under consideration. A buyer’s offer will help you set parameters or to establish a mid-point to work from thereon. There is a tendency in people to increase or decrease the offers they make in the same fashion the other party does. A counteroffer midway between asking point and buyer’s offer might elicit another offer to split the same difference. A counteroffer not responding directly to the offer, but instead offering a 10% reduction in the price might receive another offer 10% better than the buyer’s initial proposal. Sellers can control the price negotiations with a previously planned counteroffer strategy. The person who is making the first offer is in a disadvantageous position. Guard against making this mistake. There is always the possibility the buyer’s first offer will be better than what an anxious seller might propose. In this case, you are already ahead.
Take advantage of the Power of “Negotiating Silence”
Be like Cary Grant, the strong silent type, in negotiating the
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