Counter offers

C - Good Cop/Bad Cop: How can you use this counteroffer technique ?

 If you are selling your home with a spouse or co-owner, you can always play good cop, bad cop. Your partner may not like this, but it’s for a good cause–your wallet. 

The essence of this technique is to make it sound like you’re on the buyers’ side. It can be very effective during the counter offers of a home sale.

One of you needs to be the contact person for all the negotiating. When you get the offer, say, “ Well, let me run this by my wife (husband).”

When you convey your counter offer, say something to the effect, “Well, that's all she'd (he'd) come down” or “Well, it looks like we got the price to "x" dollars, that's all she'd come down.”

When the buyers make their next counter, say, “I'll see what I can do. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

If things seem to stall, you can say, “We’re so close. We should be able to work this out.”

You, as the good cop spokesman, maintain the goodwill and representation while appearing to be trying to get your mate (bad cop) to be more reasonable during the negotiations. It’s your delivery of empathy and sincerity that keeps the buyer/seller relationship personable and on track to sell your home.