The Altman Close

Chapter 23MAKING AN OFFER

You’re at the table. You’re ready for war. Let’s do this. It’s not rocket science. It’s finesse. It’s cunning. It’s knowing when and how to play it.

Making a real estate offer by definition seems to be a simple thing. It’s proving you can pay for a property, on a specified closing date. If repping a buyer, you inform the seller what the buyer wants to pay for the house, and you specify any other terms the buyer wants. If repping a seller, inform the buyer what the seller wants as well as any terms. Easy, right? Wrong. Pay attention.

The moment money appears, things get real and they get real fast. The pressure of the clock is on, down to its final seconds. You have to move; to be quick and precise the nearer you get to the close. Owners begin moving out in their head. Buyers want to get the most for their money, sometimes demanding ever-escalating concessions from the seller. People get weird.

Recently, we almost lost a $14 million sale because the air conditioning units were at life expectancy. The buyer wanted to call the deal off for a $3,500 dollar fix. We ran over there and hired someone to install a new air-conditioning unit with our own money. We handled it. We closed. If you’re not ready, if you don’t know your client, and opponent’s head and heart, then you haven’t paid attention and things will get rough. If you’re armed with your weapons, ready to pull the trigger, then this part will be as fun for you as it is for me.

Settling on the ...