This article was written for professional real estate agents by noted broker and trainer Tom Moser of Keystone Realty USA. It discusses techniques that can be used by real estate agents to have more offers accepted. If you have any questions for Tom you can e-mail him at Tom@KeystoneLongIsland or visit his web site http://AgentsEarningMore.com.

A real estate agent’s professional negotiating ability is the single most important skill that buyers need. After all, anyone can show them a house. But it takes a real professional to help them buy one. How an offer is presented will ultimately determine its success or failure (and yours too). Here are some tips for successfully negotiating an offer:

Always try to present your offer in person. Don’t count on the listing agent to present your offer as effectively as you would present it yourself. You know your buyers, their qualifications, and their situation. Also, many sellers will give you mental points for taking the time to show up in person.

Urge your buyers to make a good first offer. Remember, the goal is to get the seller to make a counter-offer. If the first offer is insultingly low, the seller may not take the buyer seriously and this will make things more difficult even if the buyer comes back later with an improved offer.

Do your homework. Make sure that your buyers are financially qualified. You should personally talk to their loan officer. If they are making a large down payment, ask for a bank statement. You will be able to present the offer with greater confidence.

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Get it in writing. Make sure that your offer is written and that it is signed by the buyer. People believe what is in writing. You may also want to bring along a Comparative Market Analysis that supports the offered purchase price.

Let the buyer meet the seller (sometimes). Many agents believe that the buyer and seller should never meet until closing. I have found, however, that in some cases the chemistry between the buyer and seller can make the difference in making the deal. This particularly works well when the seller is an older couple who has raised a family in the home and the buyers are a nice young couple who are seen by the sellers as wanting to do the same.

Meet more then half way. When you get a counter-offer, urge the buyer to make their next offer a little more then half way between the original offer and the counter offer. This will keep the momentum going. If you go back and forth more then a hand full of times, often the deal will fall apart due to seller or buyer fatigue and frustration.

Stay calm and keep your eye on the ball. Remember, your job is to complete a sale. This is what both the buyer and the seller ultimately want. No matter how unreasonable they may act during the course of negotiation, do not let their irrationality infect you. You need to keep a clear head at all times in order to reach your goal.