There’s potential liability if something goes wrong or even tension between you and the seller.

makes the conversation feel more collaborative and helps ease tension around price.The built-in pauses in your script are great.

I went through a 750,000 openhouse with sold/pending sign that had a 100 foot 32000 volt high tension tower so close I could hit it with a baseball (in my youth).

Every call I made to the lender seemed to escalate the tension.

I understand the tension of customers not wanting to constantly give everything up front for fear of the contractor having no incentive to work quickly, and even worse the possibility of them running off with the cash...but in the same breath the contractor wants to be certain that the customer is in fact going to pay, and pay in a timely manner.

(there also seems to be tension on whether they are just 'pandering,' or are genuinely believed in. 

This will help alleviate some of the tension between tenants.

Be prepared for some potential tension during the conversation, and consider that if this situation escalates or becomes contentious, you may need legal representation.

How do you address the issue without causing tension between them and the other tenants?

I call it, time under tension.