Negotiations can be tricky, especially if you’ve recently said goodbye to your longtime home and found “the one” that meets most of your needs and wants. It’s easy to get emotionally attached, but you must stay calm, collected, and logical. Treat the process as business, not personal. Set your emotions aside for two main reasons: the deal might not work out in your favor, and if you appear desperate, the seller’s agent could take advantage, potentially driving the price higher than you can afford. To help maintain distance, let your agent speak on your behalf. Agents act as a buffer, keeping your emotions out of the negotiations and providing insight on the seller’s intentions that you wouldn’t otherwise know. Avoid showing that you’re too invested—falling in love with a home is common, even for experienced buyers—but doing so can weaken your bargaining position.
DO Ask Questions.
A good negotiation strategy is to ask questions and be curious. Make sure your questions to the seller/seller’s agent are specific and targeted, though. Don’t be vague. Ask about the home, the condition, the seller, the seller’s situation, etc., which can provide valuable and useful information, such as why they’re selling, which you can use as leverage at the bargaining table. Try to be subtle, though. Expressing interest is great, but you don’t want to go too far. You’ll find that most real estate agents and experts agree that when sellers can tell how badly buyers want a home, they won’t accept the first offer, because they know they now have leverage.
DON’T Act Indifferent.
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