When you negotiate a new home sale with a potential buyer, you can expect questions like, “Can you do any better on the price?” and “Are there any incentives you’re offering?” You might also encounter the prospect who wants to know why your home is more expensive than a competitor’s. Do you have answers—or just excuses? Can you confidently explain the home’s value or do you concede?
By stumbling on questions like these, you send a subliminal message to the buyer that you yourself are not fully convinced that the home is priced appropriately. And if you’re not sold on the house, you certainly can’t sell it to anyone else.
Before you enter a negotiation on a new home, make yourself the customer. If you are unconvinced, ask yourself why. What are you finding hard to sell to a customer?
Ask those questions of the builder that your buyers are likely to ask of you to justify the value. Look at the construction, design, amenities, and details. What level of quality and care is built into the home? Consider the location. Is it a premium neighborhood with excellent schools? Is the home situated in a desirable area? If still need a spark, let your colleague deliver his or her sales presentation to you. Ask them the same questions as the builder.
Never walk into a new home sales negotiation until you are 100 percent convinced from the perspective of a customer that this home is absolutely worth the price you are asking. Remember, it’s not about price, but value. Buyers pay for value; price is just one factor.
