Make Better Deals This Year: Negotiation Tactics and Tips for REALTORS®

Louisiana REALTORS® • January 27, 2023

As a REALTOR® you have a very important responsibility to work and act in the best interest of your client. Whether they are buying a house or selling their home, it is your responsibility to ethically get them the very best result possible. Achieving these results stems from clear communication, due diligence, hard work, and ultimately skillful negotiation. When you arrive at the closing table, your client should rest assured that the check they’re writing, or the check they’re receiving, is the outcome of a well-negotiated deal. Here are a few tips and tactics that help you excel when it comes to negotiating your next client’s transaction.


Leverage Market Value Over Asking Price

It’s important to understand the market value of the home that your client is interested in. Even in a seller’s market, there is no reason to overpay. Using this metric as your baseline before you make an offer can be very effective to ensure that your client does not spend too much. While there will likely be a back and forth, starting too low is better than starting too high; and when you can back up your offer with logic, it can put you and your client in a very strategic position.


Know How to be Persuasive

Persuasion is key in any negotiation. There are six psychologically proven rudiments of persuasion. Being familiar with them and how to use them can be very helpful in enhancing your persuasiveness during a negotiation. The six rudiments are as follows:

  1. Reciprocity – If you offer something, people tend to feel obligated to give something in return.
  2. Authority – Requests made a knowledgeable, professional, perceived expert tend to be received more openly.
  3. Scarcity – A lack of resources or the principle of supply and demand can be very helpful.
  4. Liking – Finding commonalities with the other party can make you more likeable, and therefore more agreeable.
  5. Consensus – Having a reputation as someone that is nice and easy to work with in your field can make negotiating with other agents less challenging.
  6. Consistency – Being consistent makes people more comfortable. When they are more comfortable, they are more apt to agree with you.


Understand What the Other Party Wants and Needs

When you know what the other party values, you can use that to your advantage. Whether your client is buying or selling, there are more important factors for some there are for others. If price is sticking point you can leverage that for upgrades, repairs, or other considerations. Leveraging this information allows you offer what they want, while making sure your client is receiving something of equal or more value, at least to them. This creates a win/win scenario for everyone.


Be Familiar with the Transactional Data for Your Market

Knowledge is power. If you know the key real estate performance metrics for your area you will be at a distinct advantage. Understanding these statistics and how you can apply them during your negotiation will not only lend to your credibility (authority), but also back up your offer with hard facts. Some of the transactional data you should be familiar with includes:

  • Average time on market
  • Comparable
  • Price per square foot
  • Room counts
  • HOA fees
  • Taxes
  • Schools
  • Transportation
  • Infrastructure


These are only a few examples of how you can excel at the negotiating table and represent your clients in the best way possible. 

VIEW REALTOR® RESOURCES
Compliant advertising under the Fair Housing Act

Navigating Fair Housing Advertising Standards: A Guide for Real Estate Professionals

By Louisiana REALTORS® • April 24, 2026
Avoid costly fair housing violations with expert tips on compliant real estate advertising, from listing language to social media targeting strategies.

2026 Legislative Session Scoop - Week 7 Recap

By Louisiana REALTORS® • April 24, 2026
Week seven of the 2026 Regular Session was one of the most active weeks yet for legislation affecting the real estate industry. Louisiana REALTORS® remained heavily engaged as lawmakers advanced bills dealing with property disclosures, appraiser liability, rent regulation, insurance, blight, redevelopment and other issues that directly affect real estate professionals, property owners and consumers across the state. One of the most important bills this week was HB 1166 by Rep. Kim Carver , which would require disclosures for vacant residential property. The bill was reported from House Commerce with amendments on a 14-0 vote and then amended on the House floor, ordered engrossed, and passed to third reading. Louisiana REALTORS® testified on the bill in committee and worked closely with the author to better posture the legislation. Amendments advanced by our team were accepted by the author, helping improve the bill while preserving a practical disclosure framework that increases transparency without creating unnecessary confusion in the transaction process. Another closely watched issue this week was consumer-fee disclosure legislation. HB 617 by Rep. Mandie Landry moved this week, advancing from House Commerce and then the House floor, while HB 580 , another hidden-fee disclosure bill touching real estate transactions, remains pending. Louisiana REALTORS® is opposed to these measures in their current form to the extent they apply to real estate professionals because they are not well-tailored to the realities of real estate transactions, where many costs are negotiated, variable or controlled by third parties. Louisiana REALTORS® testified in opposition to the bills we oppose and is actively working with the author to better posture the legislation and remove real estate professionals from its scope altogether. On HB 472 by Rep. Alonzo Knox , the rent stabilization bill, the author is expected to try to bring the measure back before the committee next week with amendments. Even so, Louisiana REALTORS® remain opposed to the bill on principle. Price gouging is already illegal under existing law, and government-imposed rent regulation is not the right answer to housing affordability challenges. Louisiana REALTORS® testified in opposition to the bill and continues to oppose the measure because policies like this risk discouraging investment, reducing housing supply, and creating further market distortions rather than solving the underlying problem. HB 468 by Rep. Troy Hebert , which regulates the wholesale of residential real property, remains pending in the Senate Commerce Committee and continues to be an important bill for the industry. Likewise, HB 1027 by Rep. Troy Hebert , dealing with appraiser liability, had a strong week, passing the House 90-0 and moving to the Senate. Both measures are significant because they promote greater clarity, consumer protection and confidence in the real estate marketplace. Blight and redevelopment issues also remained active. HB 284 by Rep. John Wyble , which would allow certain local governments to expropriate blighted property through a declaration-of-taking process, remains subject to call and continues to raise serious concerns about private property rights. By contrast, HB 214 and HB 217 by Rep. Chance Henry , which create tax incentives for the rehabilitation of blighted property, represent a more constructive redevelopment approach by encouraging reinvestment rather than expanding government taking authority. Insurance legislation also remained a major focus this week, with multiple bills heard that could affect homeownership costs, market stability and post-storm recovery. Measures dealing with Louisiana Citizens assessments, pre-suit insurance claim review, the Fortified Homes Program and insurance market transparency all carry real implications for affordability and transaction viability. In Louisiana, insurance remains one of the most important issues affecting the real estate market, and Louisiana REALTORS® continues to closely track that legislation. Taken together, week seven showed that Louisiana REALTORS® remains actively engaged where it matters most: supporting practical transaction standards, protecting private property rights, testifying for and against legislation when necessary, pushing back on unworkable regulation and rent-control-style policies, and advancing policies that strengthen housing opportunity and market stability across Louisiana. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.

Consumer Guide Update: Navigating Interest Rates Shifts

By Louisiana REALTORS® • April 23, 2026
NAR is pleased to share the latest consumer guide helping buyers navigate shifting interest rates. The one-page guide covers how lenders set rates, the impact of small shifts on monthly payments and strategies to get the lowest rate possible. As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow up to two weeks for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Navigating Interest Rate Shifts Financing a Renovation When You Buy Staging Your House for a Sale Spotting Deepfake Scams in Real Estate Are You Ready to Invest in Real Estate? Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their home buying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Be on the lookout for the next consumer guide, which looks at how solar installations may impact home sales transactions.
Show More