DON’T BECOME EMOTIONAL AT A LESS THAN PERFECT OFFER Home buyers look for deals. Think how quickly you would jump at a home selling “below market value” and “in perfect condition” that meets your every need. That situation rarely happens, but that does not mean buyers won’t make lowball offers. If they see your house as the perfect home, they may suddenly switch their priority to negotiating a lower-than-market-value price. No matter how insulting their offer seems to be, keep your cool and maintain your position. If they truly like your home better than any others, why would they pay less for it? Keep focused, and negotiate accordingly. DO BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY AND LISTEN If you are approached by the buyer or the buyer’s agent during a showing, being careful what you divulge is one of the best ways to assist your agent in negotiating the sale. Developing a feel- good, friendly relationship with either the buyer or his agent might lull you into dropping your guard and can interfere with your focused efforts to sell your home quickly and for a good price. DO KNOW WHAT MOTIVATES THE BUYER Sometimes buying agents will work to learn why you want to sell your home. Agents know that sellers want to go through the offer process only once. If the buyer is advised to demand a lower price because of minor defects discovered during a third- party home inspection, they will use this as a negotiating tool. More importantly, an agent for the buyer may advise his client to offer the asking price in the full knowledge that minor flaws exist, only to later demand reductions and bring the offer down to what the buyer actually wanted to pay in the first place.
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