Negotiation is the process of influencing buyers / tenants to purchase your house at the best possible price, terms and conditions. It is not a platform to obtain everything you desire, however, if you plan carefully and negotiate effectively and efficiently, you can achieve the highest possible price for your property.

The following are some negotiation tactics to help you achieve better success.

Plan for success. Before entering into a negotiation, you need to know what you want and how you can potentially achieve it. There is no point in closing the sale only to find out later that you have lost much money in selling the property at the contracted price. Therefore, make sure you have done your homework on your property financial calculation in the beginning so as to achieve your desired results.

Always negotiate face-to-face. This is the best way to size up buyers and promote the value of your house. If you negotiate over the phone, it is easier for buyers to say “No”. They can also change their mind before they sign on the dotted line. When negotiating face to face, you can analyze the sincerity, motivation, credit-worthiness and co-operation level of the buyers to ensure only the genuine ones negotiate with you.

Set the stage. Always choose on appropriate time and place to negotiate with buyers. It should be ideally occur when they are in a good mood, not occupied with other matters and are in a position to make a decision.

Prepare yourself. An unprepared mind and uncontrolled emotion can kill the sale. If the atmosphere becomes tense or negative during negotiation it will not help to bring the sale to a close. Worse still, if there are disputes in which careless words are spoken, it may even kill the sale completely.

Negotiation is power play. You should try to negotiate from the ‘superior’ ground. The party with lesser power, real or perceived, will find their position being eroded over a period of time. Power in negotiation is centered on your character (who you are) and competence (what you can do). To be successful, you should be able to build positive relationships, earn the right to be listened to and even be trusted. You need to be skilful in communicating to and persuading buyers to accept your offer. Project an image of professionalism and reliability. In addition, be pleasant at all times without being perceived as a pushover.

Negotiation is psychological. Put yourself in the buyers’ shoes. If you are not convinced about the selling price at this present market, do not expect to be able to convince others. You will only get what you believe, desire and deserve.

Negotiation is a management of perception. There is no need to be perfect to command the best returns although it helps. More importantly, you need to know how to influence buyers’ perception about the value of your house. From the dressing up of it to the presentation, you need to communicate the advantages of the house and help buyers perceive the tangible improvements that it will make to their lifestyle and returns on investment. The principle is: The more they want the house, the more they will pay for it. Generally, there is an upper limit to the fair market value of your property so aim high – this will at least leave room for negotiation. However, do not set too high a price. It will deter genuine buyers and possibly make them feel insulted.

Negotiating is about building values. Every word and action must be carefully crafted to show how the house can fulfill buyer’s needs and requirements. From the dressing up of the house to the presentation, you need to communicate the advantages of the house and help buyers perceive the tangible values it can provide to their lives. Negotiating is about pursuing what you want and doing it wisely, of course. Persistence is not equated with being a pest. The premise for the strategy is that everything is negotiatiable (including preprinted contracts) and if you do not ask, you will never get it. If you ask intelligently and persistently, you will increase your chances of getting what you want. Don’t forget to always take notes in case you need to backtrack during or after the negotiation.

Stretch the deposit. When a deal is agreed upon and the option form is signed, it should be accompanied by a non-refundable deposit (also know as option money). The sum of which should be large enough to deter buyers from defaulting it should also cover the cost for removing your property from the market.

Never reject an offer outright. Do not close the door permanently. Like fishing, always have a ‘bait’ to attract buyers to review and improve their offers. Throughout the process, you need to be patient and be sensitive to every move of the buyers.

Provide ‘sweeteners’. Instead of lowering the price, price trade-offs that may be cheaper alternatives e.g. offer to pay for repairs, replacements, valuation reports, insurance fees, club membership subscriptions, legal and other professional charges etc.

In conclusion, remember that all of us will have to negotiate something during our lives. It can be an educational, exciting and enriching experience. If executed correctly, it can help you get what you want not only in the selling of property, but also in other areas of your life be it business or leisure. Get it!