Negotiations: All Gotta Win No One Gotta Lose
The Anchoring Myth: Why “Leaving Room” Costs You Money
The Anchoring Myth: Why “Leaving Room” Costs You Money
THE MYTH (Amateur Agent Playbook)
“Let’s price it high and leave room to negotiate. Buyers expect to come in lower.”
This is the comfort blanket of weak agents. It sounds clever, it reassures a nervous seller, and it saves the agent from having the hard conversation about real value.
But it’s not strategy. It’s sabotage.
THE REALITY (What Actually Happens)
Overpricing doesn’t create leverage — it destroys it.
Credibility collapse. Buyers see the inflated price and roll their eyes. They wait you out.
Anchored low. That high list price doesn’t set a ceiling — it sets an invitation for ridiculous lowball offers.
Concessions spiral. Once a buyer “wins” on price, they expect more wins: inspection items, timelines, closing costs.
Instead of gaining ground, you’re negotiating from a hole.
THE PRO AGENT APPROACH
Price it right. Control the process. Protect the net.
Price with Precision. We don’t pad the number. We set the price where the market will actually clear, creating urgency and competition.
Negotiate with Strength. Counters stay live for days, not hours. That forces buyers to negotiate against themselves instead of dragging you into “meet in the middle” games.
Reverse Offers. When needed, we flip the script — putting a fair number on the table first to flush out pretenders and push real buyers forward.
Protect the Net. By stripping out fake “negotiation room,” we preserve not just price, but your terms.
📍 CASE STUDY: Seaside, Florida
We recently represented a seller in Seaside who wanted to close at $3,289,000 — a fair number, backed by data.
The first buyer came in low at $2.9M.
We countered at full price with acceptance of all terms — and gave them 5 days to respond.
The buyer came back quickly at $3M. Our reply? “The counter is still good.”
Within a day, they returned at $3,269,000. The seller accepted.
Here’s the real story though: nobody lost.
The seller achieved the value they wanted. The buyer secured the beachside home they’d dreamed of owning — in the very town where they were first married.
Because both sides stayed in a candid, written conversation — not a messy back-and-forth — trust developed. That trust carried into the inspection process, where repairs were handled with good faith. It extended between us and the buyer’s agent as well, keeping the relationship professional and collaborative even after closing.
In the end, the transaction wasn’t just numbers on a page. It was a fair exchange that left both families happy, connected, and ready to move forward.
That’s what happens when professionals lead: you don’t just close deals, you build goodwill.
THE RESULT
Homes priced correctly: sell faster, closer to ask, with stronger terms.
Homes priced to “leave room”: sit longer, attract weaker offers, and cost you money in the end.
Bottom Line
Amateur agents anchor high and hope.
Professional agents anchor right, protect value, and deliver balance.
That’s the difference between selling a house and creating a win for everyone involved.
Who you work with matters. We share our secret sauce a bit, but the chef matters.