When going through the Dos and Don'ts think which ones would apply to you and which ones would apply to your agent depending on whether you are selling with or without an agent.
DO - LET THE BUYER SPEAK FIRS EAK FIRST
Let patience be your guide when dealing with an interested buyer. Don’t be anxious to tell him or her what you’re willing to accept; it may be lower than the buyer was willing to offer! Like any sale transaction, buyers have a price in mind, even if it is just for a lawnmower at a yard sale. They might be willing to pay $200 for the mower, but when they ask, you say $125. Do not lose the advantage of being able to counteroffer. Let the buyer speak first. That’s why it’s called an offer. It will either be an offer you can accept, or you will at least have more knowledge about what price the buyer has in mind.
DON'T - “MEET IN THE MID T IN THE MIDDLE”
Even in the simplest of sales transactions, agreeing on a price to most people often means “meeting in the middle.” For instance, a buyer speaks first and offers to buy an item for $150, when the seller is expecting to sell for $200. Most sellers will unfortunately split the difference and counteroffer $175. The seller should instead counteroffer with $220 (as long as the price was not advertised at $200), which keeps the midpoint at $200. The buyer may take the offer or agree to $205, which is slightly more than what the seller planned to ask for. Maximize your negotiations by counter-offering in small increments. Avoid following human nature by “meeting in the middle.” If the buyer says after you say you want $200 that "how about we split the difference (aka meet in the middle), all that means is that the buyer just told you that they would be willing to pay $175. You now can negotiate the difference between the $175 and the
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