You often don’t realize you’re using them but whether you’re renting a car, asking for a raise or trying to get your kids to clean up their room, strong negotiating skills are an essential part of life.

Thankfully, negotiating is a skill that can be easily learned and eventually perfected!

Your success is partly based on how well you’re prepared so it’s important to do your homework so that you’re able to counter any objections with logical facts and verifiable figures.

Also, never make assumptions but instead ask questions and listen to the other party’s perspective so that you can get to the root of their objections while gathering valuable information that may come in handy later.

No matter how good of a negotiator you are, there are certain scenarios where having a third-party negotiator on your side to act as a buffer is absolutely essential.

The home buying process definitely qualifies as it’s an extremely complex transaction that’s full of fragile emotions. After all, buying or selling a home will likely be one of the most significant financial decisions of your life.

In order to successfully negotiate the sale of a home, you not only need to understand local market conditions but you also need to be aware of certain psychological factors that may suddenly create uncertainty so that they can be identified and properly addressed before things fall apart.

If you negotiate with someone directly in such an emotionally charged situation that involves the sale of their beloved home, there’s a good chance that negative feelings will get in the way. It’s hard to recover once that happens and oftentimes, the home of your dreams will be lost due to ego, pride or principle.

Price is usually the primary offender but it could also be a variety of other factors such as the closing date or which fixtures come with the home. Even a seemingly innocent comment about their decor can be easily taken the wrong way which can quickly lead to disaster.

Even if you consider yourself the world’s greatest negotiator, emotions can often tear things apart which is why it’s important to have a real estate agent on your side to represent you as a third-party negotiator in order to keep emotions in check and the process on track.

Negotiations are only one important skill set that real estate agents specialize in so if you’re thinking about relocating, please get in touch so that we can strategically plan your next move!