What you say and when you say it, can make the difference in what your buyer client will pay for a house, and in some cases, whether they will get the house at all. I can't tell you how many times agents tell me things they should not, about how a buyer may have floundered over their decision to make an offer. An indecisive buyer equals risk for the seller. Risk equals higher return for the person willing to take that risk, in all markets.
While it is very important for agents to establish a rapport with the agent for the other party in the transaction, all too often agents forget that they are not "buddies". Everything that is said can affect the clients' position. The trick is to always say the right thing at the right time, without the other agent realizing that you are carefully choosing your words and timing the release of information, to your clients' best advantage.
No one likes to be "played"...so the best of "players" must never appear to be "scripting" or "calculating". Never say bad things to the other agent about your client. By venting your frustrations in that manner, you are working against the very objective you were hired by your client to achieve. This may sound obvious, but again, I cannot tell you how many times the agent for the other client in the transaction, has vented their frustration with the client's behavior, while presenting an offer on their behalf. I cannot treat these adverse representations as confidential conversations. There is no confidentiality between agents. Everything negative that you present regarding the clients with the offer, becomes information that is conveyed to the seller, along with the offer.
Ardell, now that's some very sound negotiating advice. The entire piece. "there's no confidentiality between agents..." It should be a title to a book or at least, an entire chapter of one. I've been searching these blogs for a few months now looking for something, anything besides the typical 'real estate 101' recitals.
Blogging is a place to say what hasn't been said, not to regurgitate what everyone already knows. I wish I could write EVERYTHING that needs to be said, but even I am not brave enough for that...quite yet.
This is a great point that is often overlooked by most agents. They get into discussion with the real estate agents that they are negotiating against and end up providing their opponent with unnecessary leverage. As you pointed out, this is a complete disservice to their client and can compromise their ability to serve their client’s best interests.
That worked, but you have that darned comment editor on...turn it off...not very inviting...just a suggestion. People like to see their comments when they hit the post button.
ARDELL
DellaLoggia
On Seattle Real Estate including Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, Green Lake and most areas around Lake Washington North of Downtown Seattle.
Phone: 206-910-1000 - Mailto:Ardell@RainCityGuide.com
You can find many great Seattle real estate agents and loan officers on ActiveRain.com ARDELL DellaLoggia is a proud member of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, a free online community to help real estate professionals grow their business.
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