NEGOTIATION SKILLS 101: "So what'll ya take for it?"

REAL ESTATE
NEWS

By Joe Savage,
Real Estate Broker




If you've ever sold something yourself, you are sure to have heard this question from a prospective buyer. It is a reasonable and necessary question if you have not marked or published a price on whatever you are selling. It is necessary information for the buyer to proceed...either to accept your price, or to counter your price.


However, if the asking price has already been established, this is a negotiation tactic intended by the buyer to obtain an initial advantage in the price negotiations. Probably the most artful way to counter this sort of tactic is to politely indicate that you are not in the habit of "bidding against yourself." If your buyer doesn't quite seem to understand that response, you can politely point out that you have already stated "...what you'll take for it..." in your asking price and it is now the buyer's turn to tell you "...what he'll give for it..." if he objects to your asking price. As you might imagine, depending upon the setting, the relationship between buyer and seller, and their respective interpersonal skills, this interaction could end up getting pretty sporty if either party's personality tends towards the antagonistic.


The "List-Offer-Counter-Offer" process in real estate is designed to formalize such negotiations in writing, in a relatively neutral, business-like exchange between buyer and seller, facilitated by neutral third-parties (the agents). Negotiation and facilitation are only part of the value a qualified Real Estate Agent brings to the table in helping buyers and sellers negotiate an acceptable agreement for both parties.

MARKET UPDATE
Spring has been active, but not quite as strong as last year. There have been fewer Spring Break guests across Pleasure Island, which is probably due to the number of snow days so many schools in our drive-market are having to make up from this extreme winter we all just experienced. Fewer guests translates into fewer buyers.

MHI, Mandoki Realty's sister company, is projecting above-average summer occupancy, though. So, if you are considering selling your Plantation property, you can do no better than to list with Mandoki Realty...uniquely situated at the property entrance, right where those buyer-guests will be. This unique advantage has consistently paid off: over the past five years, Mandoki Realty has brokered more Plantation sales than any other brokerage in the area. If a guest inquires about purchasing at Plantation, we are just steps away and have the answers to their questions on the spot. We can show a unit by walking across a parking lot, and it just can't get any more convenient for the potential buyer...we make it easy to buy.