HOW TO GET THE BEST DEAL OUT OF YOUR AGENT.

A bit of good negotiating skill is an important factor  for getting a good deal not just from a real estate agent but in every endeavour in life. It is normal for a business person to want to sell his product at the best price possible. This should not be an excuse for greediness. On the other hand, a buyer will also like to buy a product at the best price possible, of course not at the expense of quality. Negotiation, or more aptly, bargaining is an art and we need to learn the rudiments. This is secret behind one person getting a deal probably 20% less than what another person may have paid for the same thing.

1. Put up a 'poker face'. By this I mean not letting the other party (estate agent, landlord) predict how desperate you are.
2. Don't show how excited you are. This is why I talked about a poker face in the preceding paragraph. If you make it apparent that the property in question ticks all the right buttons for you, meets all your requirements, then you are putting yourself in a disadvantaged position. Look for shortcomings no matter how impressive the property, apartment is.
3. It is also very important that you don't go about flaunting your wealth the first time you approach an estate agent, a property developer or a landlord with a view to buying or renting a property from them. I know a multi-millionaire that went with a rickety car to inspect a property he was interested in. The estate agent underestimated his client and felt there was no point scaring him away with very high price. He reluctantly told the client the precise asking price for the property. Of course he could have inflated the amount if the client all appeared flamboyant the first day he came to make enquiries. It was after the client finalized the transaction that it dawned on the estate agent that his client was 'well loaded'.

The foregoing underscores the need to imbibe the subtle art required in negotiations and bargaining without haggling a great deal. So when next you want to engage in a business transaction, not necessarily buying or renting a property, don't inadvertently let the other party size you up. This is important because a lot of folks like to rub it in in this part of the world. If you want to buy, rent a property and you give a first impression of someone that has a lot of money to throw around, chances are that the price will be inflated.