All In a Day’s Work: Solving Real-Life, Real Estate Problems for Our Clients
Case Study: It’s important to advocate aggressively for your client, but sometimes you
have to know when it’s time to let up.
Problem: With our help, our clients found a terrific 1940s era colonial — solidly built
and in good condition— in a town south of Boston. Several days after the initial open
house, we crafted an offer for $6,500 below asking price. A below-asking offer might
seem ill-advised so early in the game, especially in a sizzling market. But when I
learned that the sellers had already bought a new home, I knew that for them, time was
of the essence. My clients, first-time home buyers, would be willing to close ASAP. I
used the timing issue as leverage and we were successful: our offer was accepted.
Unfortunately, the inspection revealed about $7,500 worth of problems, so we asked the
sellers to take about half of that off our offered price. At 9 p.m. Friday evening, on my
way to NH for some quick R & R, I received an email from the seller’s agent telling me
the deal was off. They would go ahead with another open house on Sunday.
Solution:
Lucky for our clients, even when I’m "on vacation,” I’m keeping tabs on business. I
quickly assessed the situation, decided that our original offer was still a very good deal
for my clients, and then made a compelling case to them as to why. They agreed and at
the 11th hour I salvaged the deal: all parties were thrilled. My clients moved in six (?)
weeks later and are happy as can be.
All in a Day’s Work: Solving Real-Life, Real Estate Problems for our Clients is a
monthly feature brought to you by Marie Presti of the Presti Group, Inc. Our agents
specialize in luxury homes, rehabilitations, multi-families and condominiums in urban,
suburban and exurban areas throughout the Greater Boston area. Marie Presti is a
Certified Negotiation Expert. For more information, visit http://www.theprestigroup.com