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⛅️ Good morning, agents! In the fast-paced world of real estate, a shaky counter-offer can kill a deal faster than you can say “closing costs.”

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 68% of home sales in 2024 involved at least one counter-offer, and with 2025’s market showing 5–20% more inventory (per Altos Research), mastering negotiation is no longer optional—it’s essential.

The following seven proven counter-offer strategies, used daily by million-dollar agents, will empower you to:

• Turn weak offers into closed contracts

• Keep deals alive that might otherwise collapse

• Make 2025 your most profitable year yet

Let’s dive in! ⏬ 

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📚️ The Counter Offer Playbook: Turn Every Offer Into a Commission!

1️⃣ Anchor Your Counter with Market Data and Net Sheets

📊 Facts beat feelings in negotiations. Ground every counter-offer in fresh market data.

• Use a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) to support your numbers.

• If comps show homes closing at 101% of list, justify your higher counter.

• If comps show closings at 92%, guide your seller to meet the buyer halfway.

• A clear net sheet keeps expectations realistic and emotions calm.

💡 Success Secret: Always run a new CMA before advising on a counter-offer. Negotiating from strength starts with current data.

2️⃣ Uncover Their True Priorities

🤝 Price isn’t always king. Call the other agent and ask:

• “What’s most important to your client?”

• Closing dates, seller concessions, lease-backs, or waived inspections may matter more than price.

💡 Success Secret: A strong but lower-priced buyer can be better than a risky full-price offer. Use the Ultimate Addendum (in Premier & Elite Coaching) to verify tri-merge credit, down payment, and employment.

3️⃣ Defuse Emotions with Empathy

💬 Lowball offers frustrate sellers, but don’t let emotions wreck the deal. Calm them with:

• “I understand this offer feels disappointing, but these buyers are trying to buy your home. Let’s focus on them—not the ones who didn’t even offer.”

Then pivot back to data and a net sheet showing what they’ll net, not what they’re missing.

💡 Success Secret: Highlight offer positives (favorable closing date, free lease-back, fewer contingencies) to shift focus from price to value.

4️⃣ Close Gaps with a Split-the-Difference Strategy

⚖️ When you’re $20K apart, don’t stall—split the gap.

Seller wants $500K, buyer offers $480K → counter at $490K. NAR reports 45% of agents sealed deals with this tactic in 2024.

💡 Success Secret: Counter every offer. Keep momentum alive. Your first offer is often your best—or only—shot.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LIBERTAS

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Here’s just a glimpse of what’s included:
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✅ CRM access (BoldTrail, Cloze, or Lofty)
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Plus: referral networks, masterminds, concierge onboarding, relocation & luxury divisions, live events, and more.

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5️⃣ Push for Commitment with a Closing Question

❓ When sellers hesitate, ask:

• “What would happen to your plans if we accepted this offer as written?”

This nudges them to think about moving, finances, and next steps—accelerating decision-making. Then stay silent and let them process.

💡 Success Secret: Pre-qualify early with our Seller Prequalification Script. If they don’t know where they’re moving, even great offers can stall.

6️⃣ Distinguish Lowball Offers from Market-Based Offers

🔍 Not every low offer is a “lowball.” If comps support it, the market may be shifting.

• Set up automatic updates as if you’re a buyer in your listing’s neighborhood.

• Track closings, new listings, and market shifts to stay agile.

💡 Success Secret: Monitor activity weekly to adjust pricing and counter strategies before the market surprises you.

7️⃣ Stay Sharp with a Counter-Offer Cheat Sheet

📝 Consistency breeds confidence. Use this Cheat Sheet every time:

• Run a new CMA

• Identify buyer/seller priorities

• Defuse emotions, pivot to data

• Split reasonable gaps

• Ask the commitment question

• Always counter—never outright reject

• Verify buyer strength with the Ultimate Addendum

⚡One Session Could Change Your Entire Year

Most agents are stuck doing more of the same — chasing, posting, hoping.
The ones who are pulling ahead? They’re learning exactly what works right now in this market.

That’s what you’ll get inside the Exclusive Mastermind Webinar with Tim & Julie Harris (FREE to attend).

Here’s what’s waiting for you:
🔥 Lead-gen strategies built for today’s market conditions
🔥 Proven scripts that win listings fast
🔥 Systems that turn chaos into a steady pipeline

This isn’t fluff. It’s the blueprint top agents are using to thrive in 2025.

Seats are limited — and once it’s full, that’s it.

👉 [Save Your Free Spot Now]

🚀 Take Action Now

Don’t let weak offers kill your deals or your commissions. Counter strategically and skillfully. Top agents don’t wait for perfect offers—they create them through negotiation.

👉 Stop losing closings and start winning bigger in 2025. Join our live training at PremierCoaching.com.

📲 Text us directly at 512.758.0206 or find us on Instagram @TimAndJulie.

Counter everything. Keep deals alive. Make 2025 your million-dollar year.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PIONEER

Don’t miss the summit for AI customer service leaders

Pioneer is the summit for forward-thinking leaders in AI customer service to come together and explore the latest opportunities and challenges transforming service with AI Agents.

Register now for October 9th, 2025. You won’t want to miss this.

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AND THAT’S A WRAP!

Remember: weak agents wait for the perfect offer. Smart agents create it.

Counter everything. Keep deals alive. And let’s make 2025 your million-dollar year.

Until next time,

—Tim & Julie Harris
Harris Real Estate Daily

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