29 Jun POWERFUL REAL ESTATE NEGOTIATION
As a real estate agent, one skill you’re consistently honing is your power of influencing. Influencing is incredibly important in order to win more business and sell more real estate, however when it’s time for the ‘hard conversations’ it’s your negotiation abilities that will get you across the line.
In this article, I will share with you 6 tips to succeeding at negotiation which you can start using in your next negotiation.
Negotiation is a game based on psychology. You must know your client’s motivations – what matters to them, what motivates and inspires them (all the details about their property goals) in order to help your clients arrive at a positive outcome.
You’re successful when your clients are successful. Negotiation for a real estate agent is a win: win situation
When you’re starting out as an agent, it’s easy to rely on the “wrong” methods to get the sale price you and your vendor want. Bullying or goading your clients into a decision does not a good negotiator make – and it goes against the long-term strategies I work through at our training events – strategies like how to create clients for life, how to generate repeat business and how to enjoy amazing referral work to name a few.
So, what are the “right” methods you need to succeed in negotiation?
Let me share with you what I have discovered over 20+ years as a High-Performance Real Estate Coach working with agents, teams and leaders on successful negotiation steps:
- Motivation
- Why does your seller want to sell?
- What has made your buyer decide to buy?
- Is it for work, family or financial reasons?
- Are they upsizing, downsizing or making a big lifestyle change?
Understanding the motivation of your seller as well as your buyer is the strongest influencer you can have. By asking questions to uncover their motives, you’ll be giving yourself great big clues on what is going to help them commit and put you to work!
- Property Fit
Every buyer has different needs. Understanding these needs will empower you to guide them towards the right property that suits their needs the best.
Think about this: if a property doesn’t fit a buyer’s requirements, should you really be selling it to them?
The answer is no – they’ll hardly be singing your praises when they realise they have made a bad decision.
When you’re in the midst of a negotiation, you should be able to seamlessly and honestly present all the reasons why the property suits your buyer and how it works into their property goals.
- Price
The seller wants to achieve the highest price possible.
The buyer wants to pay as little as possible.
You, as agent and negotiator step in to find the sweet spot between the two; where both parties walk away feeling as though they have ‘won’.
Knowledge and education are key when it comes to settling on a price.
Why should the buyer pay an extra $10,000? How will it benefit them in the long-term?
Why should the seller settle for $10,000 less than the amount they had in mind?
You need to be informed with solid facts about their mortgage payments, forecasts for future price changes and every possible reason for flexibility at both ends.
- Terms
Assume everything is negotiable and you give yourself and your customers a much larger platform to stand on.
Be flexible, be creative and be open to suggestions – anything is possible!
- Scarcity and Urgency
Scarcity and urgency are two of the strongest internal ‘psychological triggers’ and when used in the right way, are powerful weapons in a negotiation.
This is why the auction process is so successful in creating sales records – it brings out the competitive natures of even the most placid buyers!
Find the reasons why the buyer should feel a sense of urgency; be it interest rates skimming the ground, no new apartments are being approved in the area due to new council legislation or simply because property is scarce. The key here: know your local area, its market and know it well!
You don’t need to intimidate your clients with false scarcity and urgency or push them into a decision – your goal here is to help them understand why NOW is the time and THIS is the property.
- Perspectives = Stepping Into Their Shoes
In the case of negotiating real estate, it’s your job to clearly think about what the negotiation looks like from both the buyer and the seller’s point of view.
By stepping into their shoes you will understand where your clients are coming from and gain perspective on what they are thinking and feeling.
Knowing their personal goals provides insights into the roadblocks they are putting up in front of you and will help you break them down.
Think about these tips before your next negotiation, practice your dialogues, be the most equipped agent in your area with local market knowledge and watch your results improve.
Learn more about increasing your influencing ability and your negotiation power (even if you’re just starting out as an agent) so you can win more business, sell more real estate and make more money, by joining me at one of our events.
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