found over time that a proactive solution with the end in mind always works best. Finding the right buyer can be mentally and emotionally straining. Knowledgeable buyers can, and often do, push you to the limit to get the price they want, especially if they sense that you are “desperate.”
WHEN THE COMPETITIVE PRESSURE IS ON
When facing an informed buyer, remember that the one with the most options will win the negotiation. The buyer may have researched your home’s history on the market. If you have relocated, s/he may assume you are desperate to sell and willing to take his offer. If s/he’s been told that you are in the middle of a divorce, s/he may try to leverage that fact to get the deal s/ he wants. On the flipside, if s/he thought you had three other buyers waving higher offers, s/he would have to raise his/her offer or walk away. Always remember that it takes two to make a deal, and trust your gut. Sharpen your senses to know when a buyer does not have other property options. I like to have several conversations with the buyer's agent to try an ascertain their client's negotiation position. Luckily, most real estate agents and salespeople as a whole, are driven by their ego, so on of my strategies is to form the illusion of an alliance, and first determine whether the opposing agent is a "driver" or a "rider". I coined these terms with respect to real estate over the years as I analyzed more and more personality types within the industry. "Drivers", as you might imagine, are agents with a Type-A personality, who often believe they are superior in their field. They respond well when praised for being high powered, and I tell them that I would be honored to have the opportunity to work with them. I tell them that I'm sure an agent of their caliber has done their homework and understands the value of the property, so they should have no problem in securing it for their client at a good price. This sets the expectation that they, as an experienced agent
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