The best way to boost your offer negotiation skills into high gear is to appeal to a seller’s emotions. Why? Because residential real estate transactions are put together — and sometimes blow up — over emotional hotbeds of insanity, lunacy and what often seems to be bipolar mood swings. So it helps if you can give the seller a reason to care about you.
This is a people business. Oh, you might think real estate is all about numbers and expediency, but it is really about people management and persuading people to do what you want. If you overlook the people factor, you could be headed for disappointment.
Sellers have an unexplained desire, sometimes buried deep inside, to know that the house they are selling will fall into the hands of a worthy buyer. You scoff? Don’t be such a cynic. A home is far more than four walls, floors and ceilings. A seller’s house is a place where joy is shared, sorrows are expressed, hopes and dreams are crafted; it’s a place of treasured memories.
To make a seller receptive to your offer, make the seller feel a connection to you. Showcase your vulnerability and sincerity in a letter. Make the seller feel as though you are the perfect buyer. Come right out and say it. Don’t be shy. Don’t hold back and don’t be afraid to explain your feelings and thoughts.
The names, ages and relationships of all occupants.
A little history about your previous homes and how that relates to this home.
Your occupation, education and struggles to get to where you are in life.
List the specific reasons why you fell in love with this home.
Explain why you deserve to live in this home and how you will care for it.
Write a Clean and Positive Offer
This is more difficult than it sounds. Sometimes in the excitement of writing an offer, buyers don’t read the offer for clarity. Ask your agent to double-check the offer as well.
Don’t leave out an essential element or give the seller any reason to write a counter offer. If the agent prepares a counter to correct mistakes, it might make the agent consider changing terms of the offer as well. Make it a no-brainer for the seller to sign the offer the way you wrote it. Cross all your t’s and dot all your i’s.
* Verify the address is correct.
* Add up the earnest money deposit, loan amounts and balance of down payment to make sure the numbers equal the sales price.
* Check the closing date and possession terms.
* Discuss motivations for changing contract default periods.
* Review seller- and buyer-paid items and determine whether these items are “red flags” or likely to raise shackles.
* Generally, the party responsible for title and escrow fees selects the services — has the seller selected the services and expects to pay for them, yet you want to choose? Don’t let a small item become a big issue.
* How much time are you giving the seller to respond and who needs to receive the response, which will designate delivery acceptance?
Just as the buyer tries to appeal to the seller, the selling agent should try to appeal to the listing agent as well. One of the biggest obstacles to a real estate transaction that listing agents face is incompetent selling agents. In the FAX or offer cover letter, a selling agent might want to:
* Share her experience and background
* State she is a full-time professional agent (to set her apart from many of the novices in the business)
* Indicate her willingness to cooperate
* Mention services she can provide that will help to expedite the transaction
* Express excitement over working with the listing agent
The bottom line is many offers start to look the same to the seller, especially in a multiple-offer situation. When I recently worked with an elderly seller who was forced to sell her home because her husband suddenly required round-the-clock nursing care, I came up with a solution to help weed through the offers. They were all the same, within a thousand or so of pricing.
This seller was also forced to give her away her two cats. She was planning to take them to the shelter. And everybody knows the odds of finding a home in a city animal shelter. I told all of the buyer’s agents that the seller might give preferential treatment to an offer from a buyer who would take the cats. Sure enough, one of the buyers wanted to adopt her cats, and that’s the buyer the seller chose.
Besides adding personal touches to your offer, there are other ways you can make yourself an appealing buyer and stand out to the seller. Consider these ideas:
* Submit a pre-approval letter with your offer. This shows the seller you are serious and qualified to purchase the home.
* Put down a large earnest money deposit. Sellers may find you more committed with a larger deposit.
* Waive some contingencies. However, if you go this route, make sure you understand any potential drawbacks.
* Offer to close quickly. While the typical closing period is 30 to 45 days, offering a 21-day closing period, for example, may sway the sellers in your favor.