Negotiations

Realtor® negotiation skills are crucial for a successful home sale. The process starts with selecting your agent. One key question often overlooked is,

“Tell me about your negotiation education and skills, and how you’ll apply them to selling my home?”

From your initial contact with an agent, assess their negotiation skills. Are they adept at asking pertinent questions, understanding your goals, sale timeline, desired sale price, and most importantly the NET amount at closing? Are they professionally assertive without being pushy? Do they genuinely care about your situation and offer suggestions to achieve your goals?

I’ve honed my negotiation skills since starting my first business when I was 25. When I worked at the famous William Morris Talent Agency in Beverly Hills, I was trained by some of the best negotiators in Hollywood as we negotiated contracts for our actors, writers and producers. I’ve used these skills when I owned a chain of health clubs in Los Angeles dealing with leases, contractors, insurance and hundreds of staff. As I entered real estate sales in my 30’s, it only took me 6 years to put myself in the top 1% of agents in the country. This doesn’t happen unless one’s negotiation skills are exceptional.

When you interview agents, ask them what negotiation seminars, workshops, podcasts and books they’ve studied? Ask them if they’ve read any of these books?