Understand before responding
“It's too expensive” can refer to a budget limit, an unfavourable comparison, or a perception of value. Welcome the statement and ask what serves as a reference. Rephrase the difficulty before responding with a relevant point. Do not string together counterarguments. After your response, check what it solves and what it leaves open. An objection can legitimately lead to changing the property selection.
The method in practice
Handle objections in five steps: welcome, clarify, rephrase, respond with a suitable element, verify what remains open. "Too expensive" can mean budget exceeded, a different reference point, or poorly understood value. Ask for clarification before offering a concession. Do not try to win a confrontation: a well-founded objection can invalidate the recommendation. Compare the scope of prices and separate price, conditions, and ancillary costs. Prepare the necessary documents for discussion instead of piling up generic arguments about the neighbourhood.
Fictional example
“When you say too expensive, is it compared to your overall budget or to another property you are comparing it with?”
An objection is not permission to exert pressure.
Preparing a multi-criteria negotiation
Distinguish the stated position from the terms that really matter: price, included items, work, timeline, or other terms to be formalised. Verify your room for negotiation with the party you represent. A concession must not be invented, nor presented as granted before an agreement. Circulate proposals accurately and keep a record of their version and terms.
The method in practice
Prepare the negotiation with the parties' interests, negotiable items, authorised limits, and a realistic fallback solution. BATNA designates the best alternative available in the absence of an agreement; ZOPA, a zone of possible agreement, may remain unknown and must not be invented. Do not reveal a confidential limit without a mandate. Example: a flexible handover date may matter more than a small price reduction. Verify this preference, then ask for authorization to convey a precise proposal. The adviser cannot promise the owner's agreement.
Fictional example
The seller might accept a different schedule, but not a lower price. You verify this possibility before offering it to the buyer.
Never negotiate an authorisation you do not have.
Conclude with a proportionate commitment
The result of a meeting is not always a sale. It can be a second viewing, a request for a document, or a proposal to review. Summarise what was agreed and what remains conditional; assign actions and dates. For formal commitments, involve the competent professionals. Ban fake competing offers and invented deadlines: they impair the quality of the decision.
The method in practice
Draft the summary with the envisaged amount, included elements, reservations, response deadlines, and recipient. Have the legal consequences of a written document checked before presenting its scope as harmless. Commercial wording is not enough to neutralise the potential effects of an offer or an agreement. In the event of a refusal, ask which condition is blocking and whether another option merits discussion, without creating false urgency. After the exchange, record the commitments and the next agreed contact point. Success is also measured by a understood and properly documented disagreement.
Fictional example
“I am submitting your offer as formulated, along with its terms. I will confirm the feedback to you upon receipt; no agreement is secured at this stage.”
Clarity regarding the next step is better than a false yes.
Your practical application work
A fictitious buyer proposes a price drop and asks for the furniture. The seller has not authorised any concession. Draft your negotiation plan.
- Your clarifying question
- What you convey to each party
- Your next-step summary
Sources and benchmarks
- Harvard · Harvard Negotiation ProjectReference point for principled negotiation. Moroccan real estate case studies and phrasings in this course are created for training purposes.