fsbo

[DJ Cummins]

any tips or tricks on how to negotiate with a fsbo?  Out of town owner will be showing me the property.  Any advice would be appreciated

[Mark F.]

Hi @DJ Cummins, I'd like to add to the great comments from @Micah Copeland and @Griffin Fehrs. I've been in sales for 9 years, and they are spot on. When you're talking wtih sellers over the phone, focus on a few things:

1) Build rapport. Just be a genuinely nice guy and get to know the seller. Don't over do it, but you want to build a good rapport and trust. People do business with people they like. 

2) Ask open-ended questions (those that can't be answered with a yes or no) designed to find out why the seller needs to sell. Questions like "what would it mean to you to sell this home?", or "why hasn't the house sold yet?", or "when would you like to get this house sold?", or "what are your plans once the house is sold?". Note these are all open-ended questions and they can help you find out the motivation behind the sale. 

3) Once you find out the true motivation for selling, present your offer not just as the dollar amount you're going to pay for the house, but as a solution that helps them achieve their true goals you uncovered with your open-ended questions. In other words, don't make your offer just about "Mr. Seller, I'm going to give you x dollars for your house", make it about "Mr. Seller, I'm going give you x dollars for your house and take away the headache of a home that is falling apart around you. No longer will you need to stress out about where you're going to get the money to fix the AC unit that no longer works, or the roof that's leaking."  See the difference? 

Once you've uncovered the true need, paint the picture of how life will be better once the house is sold. That way you make the offer less about price and more about benefit and value to the seller.