Stop Negotiating Only on Price. Start Negotiating Terms.

Stop Negotiating Only on Price. Start Negotiating Terms.

Here’s a number that caught my attention: 59% of recent Greater Phoenix MLS sales included some kind of seller-paid incentive. The median was about $10,000. In the $350,000 to $400,000 price range, that number climbed to 71%.

Sellers are already making concessions to get deals done. Are you asking for the terms that would make a deal work for you?

Buyers have also been closing at roughly 97% to 97.5% of list price for almost two years. That doesn’t mean the market is crashing. It means there’s room for a conversation.

When you write your next offer, look beyond the price. Could the seller help with closing costs or repairs. Would a different closing date solve a problem for them? Is seller financing possible? With the average 30-year mortgage rate near 7%, the right financing terms could matter more than a $15,000 price cut.

Start by finding out what the seller needs. It might be speed. It might be certainty. It might be a way to sell without fixing the roof.

And keep the holidays in mind. A lot of buyers step away in November and December, but sellers with a job transfer, an estate, or a vacant house may still need to move. That’s a good time to have a real conversation and put together an offer that works for both sides.

My challenge to AZREIA members for the next 90 days: stay active. Write offers. Think through the terms on every one. Ask the listing agent, “What would make this easy for your seller?” Then listen.

Come January, you could already have deals closing.

See you at the next meeting,