mor e fl exible the seller will be . Th e same applies to negotiations. Th e more they stretch out the negotiations, the more likely they’ll get the price they want. Why? Buyers want to become friendly, they want to create trust, and they ultimately want your willingness to agree to their terms. Your advantage is that the relationship is a two-way street and they might not want to walk away empty-handed a ft er gaining your trust. By exercising patience, you can hold your position on terms and price. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Information is crucial to real estate negotiation s. Th e more information the buyer can glean from you, the more pressure he can exert . Th e more knowledgeable side will overpower the less- informed at the bargaining table . Th e more insight the buyer has into your motivation to sell, the more powerful he feels in the negotiation. Don’t avoid questions. Don’t be unfriendly or uninterested. However, remember this is a professional transaction between strangers and don’t be unnecessarily forthcoming, either. When the buyer asks what appears to be a tough question that may relate to an o ff er, she is looking for direct answers and your reactions. Stay professionally reserved and avoid showing anxiousness to sell. A simple but e ff ective technique to handle a tough question without giving out information is to answer with another question. If you are asked if your home has been long on the market, simply answer imprecisely, e.g., “Not long. ” Th en calmly ask the shoppers how long they have been looking . Th eir answers may empower you with information about their own stress points. When asked why you are selling, answer with vague reasons, such
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