Negotiation Problems

B - Increase Buyers Offer: Situations provide opportunities?

 Resolve the non-price issues first:

Besides price, there are always items in the purchase offer that enter into the negotiations, such as the possession date, the earnest money amount, contingency on the sale of a home, appliances included, closing costs, etc. 

Some feel these other issues should be resolved before the price is addressed. Wrong. A negotiation that ends up focused on one issue (especially price) has the potential of producing a winner and a loser, setting the stage for a failed negotiation. 

Having other issues allows for give and take. “I'll come down $2,000, but we want to keep the freezer”. “We’ll meet your price but we feel it’s only fair if we have three days after closing to move out completely.” You get this, I get that.

You need these items, whether they are tangible or intangible, otherwise you’ll have nothing left that helps to justify movement of the price.

Get stubborn buyers up in price

You reach a point where the buyers don't want to increase their offer. Say to them, “Well I guess we both need to think about it.”

If they don't get back to you in a couple of days, call and say, “We really don’t want to go any lower and obviously you don't want to go any higher. We like you as buyers. We’ve thought about it and we are willing to split the difference with you.” 

You come across like a very fair-minded person, reaching out to help make a deal work. If the other party balks, they will appear unreasonable. 

This almost always works, but the two sides must be in striking distance (5 percent) of each other before this technique can be effective.

Get first time buyers up in price:

    First time buyers and limited funds

You may find buyers who are short on down payment money. First-time buyers with less than 10 percent down are common. 

          Creating money for these buyers: