You've finally found a dream home in your price range, and it's time to make an offer to buy the home. Your about to start one of the most tension-filled parts of the entire process: negotiating with sellers!
Why is there so much anxiety over the purchase price of a home? Because there is a lot of money at stake, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars (or more); every dollar that comes from your pocket goes right into the pocket of the person selling the home.
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The seller knows this too, and they're looking to get the highest possible price. What is the ultimate goal in these negotiations? Everyone is happy; both buyer and seller, because the home sold at its true market value. So how do you get there?
The first thing to do before starting the negotiating process is some research. That means understanding the community, and the selling price of comparable homes. This way it's possible to make fair comparisons to homes that have sold recently in the neighborhood.
Buyers should also consider "mitigating" factors. These are the reasons to increase or decrease a bid for a home. Some of the questions to think about include:
Finding the answers to these questions will help buyers to negotiate in a more objective and effective manner with the seller. It's always better to negotiate with facts on your side.
One of the more important factors to figure out is if the home is located in a buyer's or a seller's market. This dynamic follows the rule of supply and demand. The following lists of attributes can help distinguish between a buyer's and a seller's real estate market.
The following characteristics are normally associated with a buyer's market:
The following characteristics are normally associated with a seller's market:
In a buyer's market, sellers may need to offer their homes for sale at "bargain" prices. Generally, buyers will have the upper hand during negotiations because they have choices. In other words, it is much easier to walk away from the deal and find another home.
In a seller's market, buyers have to move quickly because homes are selling before they even get a chance to look at them. In this type of market, the buyer needs to be prepared to demonstrate they are a serious by making sure they are pre-qualified for a mortgage. Buyers might also need to give in to more of the seller's demands.
Regardless of the market, everyone still wants to strike a fair deal. Buyers should be willing to pay exactly what the real estate market expects, and not a dollar more. The following tips can help level the playing field during negotiations.
Of course everyone should fall in love with a home they're thinking about buying; but never let the homeowner or real estate agent know you're in love with a home. That means keeping your emotions in-check when touring the house.
If you're interested in a home, then there is no reason to hide those feelings. In fact, it never hurts to flatter a seller by remarking how nicely the home is decorated or the color combinations they've used on the walls work well together.
A real estate agent might seem like a new best friend, but unless they are a buyer's agent, they have a responsibility to the homeowner to extract the highest price possible for the home. Most agents are seller's agents, and that means they are paid by the seller. Their professional "loyalty" is with the seller, not the buyer.
Agents also make money from sales commissions, so they are only paid when they sell homes. Make sure they are doing all they can do to help find suitable homes and earn their commissions. Never tell an agent that you love a home, this gives you a better chance of getting the best deal.
During negotiations, sellers are going to try to convince you the asking price is fair, and they may even try to demonstrate why this is true. The following list contains some of the common tactics that sellers employ; buyers need to separate fact from fiction.
If you happen to talk to the homeowners, and real estate agents don't really like it when a buyer talks directly with the owner, turn on the charm if at all possible. The trick here is to get them comfortable enough that they start to talk about some of the problems with the home.
Nearly all owners have some kind of emotional attachment to their homes. Even if they are moving on, they want to feel good about the people buying it. Think of it this way: people will sell a home to a person they trust for less money than someone they don't trust.
We're going to finish up with the single most important aspect of the home buying process: How to negotiate the price of a home. Again, the following tips really depend on the activity of the market. Balance the following tactics with the environment. For example, in a buyer's market, it might be possible to get away with more demands than in a seller's market.
About the Author - Negotiating with Sellers
