I recently attended training delivered by Negotiation Expertise, LLC to receive the CNE (Certified Negotiation Expert) designation. The training was very practical considering that negotiation skills are foundational for all phases of a real estate transaction.

Below are the top six negotiation tips I gleaned from the training:

1. “I am in charge of the process. You are in charge of the decisions.” Our job is to guide our clients with information, not make decisions for them. We need to proceed with the blessing of the boss! As professionals though, we must drive the overall process.

2. It’s not about the money! When objections arise in a negotiation, deal with issues one at a time and isolate each one. Start with the minor ones first. Buying or selling real estate can be very emotional, and often you’ll find that other issues are more important than money.

3. When a consumer does not understand the value of a product or service, they resort to cheap. Differentiate yourself and the services you provide. It is easy for consumers to

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Posted on July 7 at 10:23 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (1)

Taking designation courses early in my career has helped me avoid mistakes, instead of having to learn from them.

I constantly remind myself to "work smarter, not harder." To do that requires writing down your business plan, setting your goals high, acquiring new skill sets, conquering your fears, and consistently working on your business, as you efficiently work in the business.

So when my-then broker introduced me to the idea of getting designations to help me achieve all of this, I became hooked. I took a real estate foundation course offered at my local REALTOR® board, which was also the equivalent to one whole credit for the GRI designation.

That one course was enough to spur me to go designation crazy — it was phenomenal!

I suddenly had a different outlook on the real estate industry and how to work it with my personality.

Besides GRI, which offers training in everything from contract law to finance and sales and marketing, I've now earned designations that make me a senior real estate specialist, international property specialist, buyer representative, and transnational referral specialist. Not to mention, I now get to add a bunch of letters after my name -- ABR®, SRES, CIPS, GRI, and TRC.

Is it Worth It?

Going designation crazy was a no-brainer for me because agents in my office who had the designations were doing five times more business than those who didn't have a single

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Posted on January 14 at 02:02 AM | Permanent Link | Add a Comment (3)