Tips For Negotiating With A Home Buyer

May 11
10:42

2014

Melissa Gifford

Melissa Gifford

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If you don't want to leave money on the table you are going to need to know the steps to selling a home and the different twist and turns that come with it. The negotiation process is one of the prime examples of something that most home buyers will probably second guess themselves about during the process.

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The steps to selling a home can be complicated and there are a few twists and turns that will leave you wondering whether you have left money on the table. One of the steps that home sellers particularly second guess themselves about is during the negotiation phase. Everyone knows this is a crucial step to closing on a home,Tips For Negotiating With A Home Buyer Articles but since homeowners only ever go through this probably a handful number of times in their life, it is easy to feel overwhelmed about how to proceed.

In this article we will talk about the best practices when you are negotiating with the prospective home buyer to close your home.

Do Not Dismiss Any Offer

Your home is at its most popular within the first few weeks that you have put it up for sale. Within the first few weeks of a new listing, home buyers flock to see the new house on the market. Thus, you may receive the largest amount of offers at the beginning. During such a phase where you have multiple offers or you expect multiple offers, it is easy to get too choosy about them.

Sometimes home buyers will low-ball you just to see if you will give them a counter offer so they can see if you are willing to negotiate. During the time you are getting a lot of offers it is easy to dismiss the low-balls ones. Keep in mind that every offer that you get can possibly be the one that gets your house sold.

When negotiating you want to show that you are reasonable by giving a little bit. If you are listing your house at $300K and someone low-balls you are $225K, make a counteroffer at $290K to show that you are willing to negotiate. By showing that you can be reasonable you will signal to the buyer that you are willing to negotiate with them if they are willing to continue to talk.

Do not tell your sad story.

People sell their homes for a variety of reasons. Some people need to sell in order to relocate to another job or to move into a house that provides more room for a growing family. However, others are less happy occasions such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or failure to pay the monthly mortgage.

Even though home buyers may empathize with you they will also use the information as a guide as you are going through the negotiation process. If someone knows that you have to sell your home fast they are more likely to offer you a low-ball offer in hopes that you will take it due to your pressured situation that comes with anyone of the above scenarios.

Even the nicest buyers are going to be looking for a good deal on the home. Keep it professional and keep your end goal in mind during the entire process.

Know Your Home First

This may seem like a no brainer, but it is remarkable how many people fail to make this a priority during the home sale. During the negotiation process, information is quite valuable, and there are a few things you should research on before the buyer brings it up. For example, make sure that your price is a competitive one with the current market, so you know the value of your home before the buyer convinces you that the going rate is much lower. Also, make sure you know the condition of your home and the state of repairs before the buyer hammers down the price by listing all needed fixes with his own home inspection report. Be sure you know what you are keeping with the home and what you can acceptable part with so that you can use this during the negotiation process if necessary. All of these facts will help you make a good offer and counteroffer when it comes down to negotiating a home sale.