Are you the type of buyer who considers only the data and makes decisions on the logical analysis of that information, or are you driven more by emotions?  Some people call that left-brain thinking versus right-brained thinking.  No matter which side of your brain you reason with, there are a lot of things to consider and many opportunities to negotiate in the course of a real estate transaction.

Some of the complexities of the negotiation process include; attitudes, communication, price/value, personal property, buyer costs, time frames, closing dates, etc.  In other words, there are opportunities to negotiate from the very beginning of a transaction and potentially lasting until closing.  How will these negotiations go for you?  Sometimes deals teeter on the brink of failure because of seemingly small amounts of money or just because of emotion or ego.

There are some buyers or sellers who have a very competitive attitude, whose only goal is to win, with the expectation that the opponent will lose.  They are only concerned with their own needs and are willing to sacrifice the other party’s needs in order to win and have control.  These types usually use intimidation tactics or “take it or leave it” strategy. 

There are the more collaborative types who are very interested in a win-win situation where both parties walk away with what will work for them.  This type of negotiator reaches a higher degree of success because they are more willing to make concessions and allow for give-and-take.

Then there are the compliant types who usually lose in their negotiation efforts because they just don’t want to rock the boat and avoid conflict whenever possible.  They are more concerned with being liked and are more likely to sacrifice their own needs to that end. 

There are Realtors® with expertise in understanding and dealing with each of these personality types and they know how to carefully exert influence in a transaction so both parties walk away satisfied.  Many sellers think the premier trait of a good Realtor® is only their marketing skills, rather than thinking about what happens once they find an interested buyer.  They often underestimate the complexity of the negotiation process that will commence once the buyers solidify their interest into a written offer.

On the other hand, polls show that most buyers believe negotiation skills are very important.  Ask your Realtor® if they have the designation of being a Certified Negotiation Expert.