At the Bargaining Table

Often you can gain advantage in the negotiations by sitting down face-to-face with the seller. This is especially true when you are familiar with the subject matter and the seller is not. Real estate agents can almost always get the seller a better deal than the seller can get alone, and this is one reason the seller's agent will not want you or your buyer's broker to see the seller during the negotiations.

You can get around this very easily by saying you will not proceed with negotiations unless the seller is present. Bargaining face-to-face with the seller is usually the most productive after the negotiations have been going on for a while and you have gotten the seller or his or her agent really interested in your making a deal.