Nobody likes to be bullied during negotiations

There are some phrases that are just not helpful in a real estate transaction, whether they come from the agent or the client.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Can you just tell me their bottom line? They really don’t want to go back and forth on this: Whatever “this” may be – such as purchase price, furniture and appliances that are included, or repairs that are going to be made.

First, it’s called negotiation. It’s a process. And it starts with putting something in writing that the other party can respond to. In writing.

Second, people have an idea of what they want, but nobody really knows the “bottom line” until you actually get into negotiation. Once a seller sees a firm offer with a solid pre-approval, a bank statement showing plenty of money, and figures out how much fatter his or her bank account will be after the 30-day escrow, their bottom line might move a little bit.

What’s wrong with going back and forth as many times as it takes to reach an agreement?

This is their best and final offer: If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard this phrase, and then the party making their best and final offer comes up another $5,000 or comes down another $10,000, I’d have a big wad of dollars in my pocket. Especially in a more normal market like we’re in today, where demand is waning and supply is increasing.

You probably want to throw this aggressive closing technique down only if you really are ready to walk away. Which leads me to …

They’re willing to walk away: This is the bookend strategy for stipulating this is your best and final offer.

You’re not throwing in the towel yet, but you’re waving the towel around in the air over your last counteroffer. Pouting does not make this any better. But submitting your next counteroffer with this sort of veiled threat is really not helpful and could actually be detrimental. Nobody likes a bully.

We just assumed … That they’d professionally clean the carpet, drapes, floors, cabinets (inside and out) and windows before they gave us the keys.

That the big gold mirror hanging in the foyer would still be there after their moving van came and took away all of their belongings.

That they’d repaint the faded areas where their massive family portrait, taken at the beach in well-coordinated blue and white outfits, used to hang.

That the swing set in the backyard would be leaving on the moving van.

That the utilities would be set up by the escrow company.

Or that they were just posturing when they said this was their best and final offer.

Leslie Sargent Eskildsen is an agent with Realty One Group. She can be reached at 949-678-3373 or leslie@leslieeskildsen.com.

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