Had the agent known to focus on the 20% difference, this could have been their first stop. As a seller, you can leverage this rule to your advantage by drawing attention to the defining characteristics of your home. In one real example, a real estate agent was contacted by an out- of-town client. He didn’t present a list of criteria for his house hunt—he simply said he liked the area. The agent drove him from house to house. Each time, the buyer made offers 10-20% below asking price and refused to budge. The agent began to think the entire day was turning into a waste of time. The last house of the day had little curb appeal. It wasn’t particularly attractive, but the agent was out of options. Yet this house broke the tough negotiator down. Suddenly, he was willing to offer full asking price. What set this house apart? It wasn’t that he had a thing for unattractive homes. The 80/20 Rule had kicked in again. THE 80/20 RULE IN ACTION: BUYERS PAY MORE FOR UNIQUE FEATURES This agent and her client had spent the entire day looking at homes that shared 80% of the same features. The buyer didn’t care about any of them. To him, a bedroom was just a bedroom. He fell in love with one remarkable feature of this “ugly” house: a large window with a breathtaking view. The showing happened at sunset, just as the sun dipped below the tree line. That view sealed the deal. The other 80% of the house could be addressed later. His decision was based entirely on the setting and the view. That single element sparked excitement, and he immediately offered full asking price—without negotiation.
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