Trying to negotiate the sale of your home to get you the most money possible doesn’t have to be a scary process.  I know the feelings that you are going through and the emotions tied to the process, but rest assured there are some tips that will help you fill your pockets with as much cash as possible, while enjoying the process the whole way through.

1. Remember that if someone is making an offer on your house, they have a serious interest in it.  You’ll hear buyers say, “I’m looking at 3 or 4 other properties too.”  They are trying to make you feel you have to accept their offer for fear of losing them as a buyer.  Don’t buy into that too much.  The fact is, why are they offering on your home vs. the others?  The reason is because they want it.  You’ll hear sellers say all the time too: “I don’t need to sell my house.”  That may be true, but then why is it listed for sale?  Once you cut through the crap, you can easily see you have two genuinely interested parties who want to make a deal.
2. Haggling is annoying but often very effective. Often sellers will say, “This is my final offer – take it or leave it.” That can really put the buyer into a defensive position and feel like they are being taken advantage of.  Sellers, try negotiating inspection days, closing date, or coming off the price by even a few thousand dollars. The buyers will feel they are chipping away at you and it will make them feel good about the deal they are getting.  It’s all about the perceived deal.  The more they are getting from a seller, the happier they will be – and it’s more likely they will stick to the deal and close it.
3. Don’t get caught up in “splitting the difference.”  This is a tactic used frequently. Say you are $20,000 apart on price and the buyer says, “Let split the difference and meet at $10,000.”  Know your value, know the comps, know what your house offers and push that onto the buyer.  Make them want to buy your house.  And then maybe you could tell them to split the difference again and get them up another $5000.  

There are so many techniques to help you negotiate a stellar deal.  I simply do not have enough words in this column to write about them all.  Please contact me if you’d like some advice on negotiating your deal.  Best of luck!

Gabe Mellein was voted a Top Real Estate Agent – Exceptional in Service and Overall Satisfaction by Gulfshore Life Magazine in 2012.  He is the broker of Gulf Pointe Properties, Inc and has over 8 years experience in the SW Florida Real Estate Market.  He is a member of The Naples Area Board of Realtors, Bonita Springs – Estero Association of Realtors, Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach, The Florida Association of Realtors, The National Association of Realtors, and is nationally certified in Feng Shui for Real Estate.  Need real estate help?  Please contact Gabe at:  239.825.2234, Gabe@GulfPointeProperties.com  or www.GulfPointeProperties.com