When buying a car there is an unwritten rule that you are supposed to haggle for the best price and emotions generally don’t factor in. Some people enjoy the dance and don’t take it personally when they don’t get what they want.
Real estate is a business in which emotions probably run higher than any other. The purchase is huge and it is personal, and often the process is approached like preparation for battle. The buyer knows the seller is out to get them and vice versa. And from there each step becomes a reaction rather than an action.
- The buyer makes an offer. The seller thinks it is too low or they are asking for too much…..
- The seller reacts with what could be considered an unreasonable counter or just a no….
- The buyer gets upset and reacts by walking away.
- The buyer’s offer is accepted but then comes the inspection and the buyer asks for repairs…..
- The seller thinks the repairs are unreasonable and reacts by cancelling the contract.
These are just some simple examples of what often happens in the home buying or selling process. This is all governed by emotions getting the better of the parties, each side taking things personally. If emotions and personal feelings can be taken out of the equation things may look a little more like this:
- The buyer makes an offer. The seller thinks it is too low and possibly asks for too much…..
- The seller works with their agent to come up with a reasonable counter and starts the dance. Each side is a little clumsy in the beginning, but eventually they may find themselves in step.
- The buyer’s offer is accepted but then comes the inspection and the buyer asks for repairs…..
- The seller thinks the repairs are unreasonable but does not take it as a personal affront. They really take a look at the request and possibly find that some of the items asked for may not be that unreasonable after all. They can counter with what they think is a reasonable compromise. Maybe the buyer was trying to see how much they could get (the dance) and will be happy with what is offered.
If both sides could stop taking things personally and stop reacting to each situation the process of buying or selling a home could be a far more pleasant and satisfactory experience than it often is.
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