Ivy League Negotiating…
Great real estate deals are made and lost at the negotiation table.
With all of today’s technology, finding a house that you like is relatively simple - it just takes time. You can find homes for sale on my website. You can go to GreatSchools.net for school ratings. You can use Google’s Street View to help get an idea of what the neighborhood looks like. You can even get a feel for the floor plan and interior condition from virtual tours and multiple photos. With time and a little persistence, you can do the majority of your house hunting from the confines of your couch.
Technology can’t, however, do your negotiating for you. Therefore, if you wish to get the absolute best deal you possibly can while either buying or selling a home, you need to make sure your agent is skilled in writing and negotiating contracts. An article worth reading (or passing along to your agent/negotiator) was posted on the GigaOm Blog recently and is titled Harvard Negotiation Project: 5 Lasting Rules For Negotiating Anything. It’s not specific to real estate, but it’s principles definitely apply!
