Increasingly, real estate transactions are being negotiated by email. It’s quick, easy and leaves a written record and is very comfortable as you have time to think before you respond; and so does the other side.

Selling and negotiating are both skills that require a nuanced understanding of human behaviour and psychology. Communicating by e-mail shields us from most of those nuances. Some people feel that this shield protects us while others see that it limits the opportunity to gather information that is important in the negotiation process.

 

I think if you are a skilled negotiator, you will see the need to meet face to face and gather information about your counterpart while at the same time allowing your skilled collaborative style to keep you from exposing the nuances that could be detrimental to your side.

You cannot hear hesitation in an email.

You cannot see the face of duplicity, smell fear or sense mistruths in a text message. By all means, punch away on a keyboard, but if you want to be a valuable real estate agent, you’ll need to learn the skills to be confident enough to be face to face when it matters.

Email and text messages are amazing communication tools and we have a responsibility to be excellent with these tools. (Consider our Email Negotiation Course) However, high level sales and masterful negotiations demand that you acquire the nuanced information that is only available through real, face to face connection.

Find out more about our upcoming CNE and MCNE courses as well as about our Coach Training