Of all the skills a Realtor must possess the one that should be in the top five for any client, whether a buyer or a seller, is the agents ability to negotiate. This is especially true in today's market with buyers feeling more in control of the process than they ever have been.
Your Realtor will help you negotiate the price, the number of days in escrow, the number days for the contingencies, whether or not to have contingencies, and then the negotiations that revolve around any discoveries made during the inspections.
The Realtors will be looking after your best interests and working with your instructions, but it is the style with which the Realtor approaches the negotiating that differentiate one agent from another, and, ultimately, the successful outcome.
Some see negotiation as a battle with a clear winner, and a clear loser. They want to dominate the other side. I think this is the wrong approach. It merely invites bad feelings, and can ultimately lead to the end of the contract over petty issues. This does not mean I favor a negotiating style that invites the other side to push me around like a rag doll, and that I will ignore the needs of my client.
There is a midle point in which differences can be discussed in a calm and rational matter. This is a business negotiation, not an emotional brawl. Differences should be categorized from most important to the least, so that the discussions do not get held up or even ended by something trivial.
While staying firm, there should be an atmosphere of "let's see how we can move things forward" prevading all discussions. It is not an ego contest between the Realtors. It is a negotion between a buyer who wants to buy a home, and a seller who wants to sell a property. The Realtors are facilitators and advocates in this process.
