The tax credit crunch is on.
Buyers are writing offers.
Sellers are trying to hold what little ground they have.
Tug o War is on the rise and Realtors better have their best negotiating game face on.
The thing I am personally noticing is that even if the gap is not far, both parties are holding ground.
That middle place for putting a deal together is often quite narrow. So what can we do?
My best opinion is to stand back and advise that your party see the bigger picture. Step out of what feels like a game long enough to ask the right questions of yourself.
In the LONG RUN...Do you want to lose this deal over a xxx thousand dollars? In the long run, it can make very little difference to both parties.
This market and the current tax deadlines have created a bit of a relay game. READY, SET, GO!...
Maybe we need to lose the team pride just a bit and rather than become too stubborn, sellers may have to wave that white flag sooner, and buyers may have to consider how much they want a specific property- over how much they beat down the seller.
The line is fine. YES I think buyers should be getting a good deal- even a GREAT deal in this market. And SELLERS need to de-personalize their property sale and realize that for a year and a half we have all been programmed for the bottom and they are not being targeted in a personal way.
But it is tough out there for everybody. Buyers that are loan worthy should be darn proud, and feel that they have gotten what they came for.
Sellers should seriously ponder it when they receive a decent offer, as there are still a whole lot of homes that are not moving toward escrow.
We need to realize, as agents that we are NOT "playing a game". We may be coaching from the sidelines, but now more than ever we need to remain calm, cool headed and help both our buyers and sellers attain their goal of a sucsessful transaction.
BethAnn Long ~ Spokane Realtor- Coldwell Banker Tomlinson South Inc.
509-362-4607
...there's no place like your home!
Thanks, BethAnn, for this article and reminder that we as agents are coaching and advising our buyer and sellers clients, and must always be calm with the goal of delivering best customer service to help our people make their decisions.
Hi BethAnn,
Your post clearly points out one of the important benefits of hiring a good agent in the first place.
There are emotions swirling around the selling and buying of a home. It is just human nature, and is especially to be expected among parties (the buyers and sellers) who are not accustomed to negotiations like this. From the emotional attachment of "falling in love" with a potential new home, to taking it personal when the other side counters or takes a hard line, it is often and understandably hard for buyers to keep the Big Picture Question in mind and stop focusing on the narrow tug-of-war that is going on. Especially if they have started down the slippery slope of taking things personal.
Fortunately, that is where we come in. Having gone through so many negotiations, we simply have more practical experience at holding emotions at bay and keeping our eye on the Big Picture Question: "Is this a good purchase as negotiated, or not?" Obviously buyers ultimately make their own decisions, but they should see the benefit of having a professional on their side who is giving them input and isn't being influenced by raised blood pressure and secret fantasies of wanting to choke to death the parties on the other side of the negotiations.
As an experienced horseman, separating emotional factors from objective financial considerations is an ongoing struggle. It is very hard, but it has to be done. Many real estate transactions will fit that description, as well.
Tim very well said
Harrison Thanks!