3 Negotiating Tips for Home Sellers

by Carolyn Kay 03/25/2018

Selling a home may seem simple at first, but negotiating with a homebuyer sometimes can be problematic. Fortunately, home sellers who understand the art of negotiation may be better equipped than others to accelerate the home selling process and optimize the value of their residences.

What does it take to become an expert home selling negotiator? Here are three negotiation tips for home sellers:

1. Stay Patient

It is easy to become emotionally attached to your residence, especially if you have lived in a home for many years. However, a home seller will need to do everything possible to keep his or her emotions in check during negotiations with a homebuyer.

In some instances, emotions can get the best of a home seller. And if this happens, a potential deal with a homebuyer may collapse.

For home sellers, the goal of a home selling negotiation is to maximize the value of a residence. Keep this goal in mind as you navigate negotiations with a homebuyer. By doing so, you may be able to maintain a calm, patient approach as you work toward selling your house.

2. Evaluate the Real Estate Market

Although you've allocated substantial time and resources to enhance your home over the years, the value of your residence may fluctuate based on the current real estate market's conditions. But if you conduct plenty of housing market research before you enter negotiations with a homebuyer, you can understand exactly what your home is worth today.

Conducting a home appraisal usually is a good idea. This appraisal will enable you to learn about your home's pros and cons and identify potential issues that may prevent you from maximizing the value of your property.

Furthermore, study the prices of comparable homes in your area. With this housing market insights at your disposal, you can enter a home selling negotiation with the information that you need to make data-based decisions.

3. Hire an Experienced Real Estate Agent

Home selling negotiations can be tricky, and for home sellers who want extra help, hiring an experienced real estate agent is essential.

An experienced real estate agent understands the ins and outs of home selling negotiations. As such, he or she will share expert negotiation insights with you to ensure that you can get the optimal price for your residence.

Your real estate agent will provide recommendations and suggestions throughout the home selling process and may even help you avoid negotiations altogether. Plus, this real estate professional is happy to negotiate on your behalf. That way, you can avoid the stress and anxiety commonly associated with negotiating directly with a homebuyer.

With an experienced real estate agent at your disposal, you may be able to accelerate your journey through the home selling process. Your real estate agent will keep you up to date about offers on your home and ensure you can get the best results possible.

Employ an experienced real estate agent, and ultimately, you can boost your chances of stress-free home selling negotiations.

About the Author
Author

Carolyn Kay

As a Real Estate professional, I specialize in helping my clients buy, rent or sell properties in Westchester County. I am passionate, dedicated and committed to my clients and my first priority is to provide them with first class service and guidance throughout the entire process. It has been said that I go above and beyond for my clients to get the deal closed! I have experience working with clients who have financed their purchases with either a conventional, VA or FHA loan and have a good understanding of how they work; no sale is too big or too small for me to take on. My family and I relocated to England for 2 ½ years, this was a wonderful experience but at the same time, it was overwhelming. I have first hand knowledge of the challenges as well as the positives in discovering a new community. I was born and raised in Scarsdale and once married, my husband and I decided to raise our two daughters here. Both of our daughters successfully graduated from the Scarsdale schools and are both married, living and working in Manhattan. After living in the same house for 30 years my husband and I took the leap, sold our home and bought and renovated a condo townhouse in another town. Once again we are discovering a new community and fully understand the highs and lows of selling a home we loved and buying and making a new home. I feel that my personal real estate experiences have made me more in tune with my client’s needs and therefore better able to help them navigate through the complex process. Please call me so that I can put my knowledge and experience to work for you.