"It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory."  W. Edwards Deming

You should be used to it by now - the buyer's market has settled into its big, cushy, leather, easy chair and is resting comfortably. It is like the guest who just won't leave, so you have to learn to live with him for a while longer. One of the best ways to do this is to sharpen your negotiation skills.

During the last five years of the hot seller's market, negotiation skills weren't quite as important as they are now. All you had to do was put the house on the market with a reasonable price and let the bidding begin.

Now things have changed. Today, we're seeing a more traditional market where buyers have their share of homes to choose from. So the negotiation game among sellers and buyers (and their respective agents) has reached a new level of importance.

Realtor® Linda Kraft of Raleigh, NC, in an interview with Howard Brinton at a recent Starpower Conference, said that buyers almost think they can get homes for free in the current market.  They have educated by the market to believe that they should always start low because the sellers will take almost anything to get out from under.

As agents, we know that isn't quite true; there is plenty of room on both sides to negotiate.  Agents with sharp skills can hammer out a fair price for both parties.

For additional information and guidance on this topic we have posted an article on our website entitled "Negotiation Tips For a Buyer's Market" for you to review.

Commitment for the Week:

Show us your commitment by commenting with your thoughts, plan and deadline below!

Make A Commitment: I will work on my negotiation skills and focus on solutions!
Deadline: _________

Bob Corcoran

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