How To Negotiate “Like a Boss”

You can find a great investment property, in a growth location, and still miss out on positive cash flow because you weren’t able to negotiate a price and terms that worked for you.
If you’re not comfortable negotiating for what you want or if you’d simply like to improve your skills, I’d like to share some proven tips and strategies designed to help you tilt the odds in your favour!

Speak authoritatively

There’s a good reason for the old adage “knowledge is power”…it’s true!

When you’re well informed not only will you make smarter decisions, your confidence will be reflected in your negotiations – the way you carry yourself, the way you speak…all of the subtle signs of a confident person will be evident.

You can achieve this result by doing a solid job on your due diligence. You must understand everything about the market and the particular investment property you’re looking at before even making your offer.

Understand the market

Due diligence will give you the information you need to negotiate from a position of power.

In addition to knowing where the market lies in its cycle, understand what the investment property you’re looking at is really worth and how it fits with your investment strategy.

Listen close

Did you know that kinesics (the science of body language) has determined that individuals tend to behave in certain ways when they’re being untruthful (e.g. they might fidget more, or they may swallow hard before responding)?

It’s helpful to understand human nature when negotiating, so it’s worth the effort to learn to listen to both verbal and nonverbal cues.

Listen with both your ears and your eyes. Pay attention to body language, tone of voice, what’s said/not said, etc. to get a feel for the other speaker’s intents and motives.

Ask questions

Body language experts caution that you need a “baseline” when determining if someone is being dishonest. In other words, you need to observe an individual’s typical language and behaviour patterns before attempting to gauge the honesty of their interactions with you.

Asking simple, “non-threatening” questions, such as “tell me about yourself”, or questions about their family, fav sports team, weather, etc. is a smart way to get a “behaviour baseline”.

Once negotiations begin, listen closely to what the other person is saying…and not saying…and you’ll often find the key that you need to successfully negotiate a deal.

Have a back-up plan

Things won’t always go as planned, so have a “Plan B” in mind if negotiations stalemate.

If you’re still unable to come to a satisfactory resolution with the vendor then call it quits. You have to be ready to simply walk away from the deal (not as a cheap stunt, but in reality).

Interestingly, if you indicate a true willingness to walk away from the deal, a resolution is often quickly found, however don’t always count on this to work.

Remember – your top priority should always be your particular strategy and your individual financial situation.

Silence is your friend

During negotiations, moments of silence can be unnerving to some individuals.

Use this to your advantage.

For example, if you’ve received an offer that’s not what you’re after, wait ten seconds before responding. You might be surprised at what happens next…especially if the vendor is anxious to sell.

If you want to meet with like-minded people sharing the same interest for property investment,  you should register to attend our next Property Investor Night.
At these FREE events held all across the country we discuss where the growth markets are right now, and share ways you can navigate your way to financial freedom through investing in property.

Seats fill up fast, so book yours now!