How much should a home buyer or seller pay their real estate agent? Historically, the answer was 6% of the home sale price, split equally by the seller’s and buyer’s agents. But that amount was basically set by the National Association of Realtors, real estate agents’...
Most real estate agents consider themselves pretty good negotiators. After all, home buyers and sellers have been hiring agents for years to negotiate the purchase price of their homes (often the biggest financial transaction of their lives). Recently, however,...
Years ago in law school, I was taught to pay particularly close attention to any inconsistencies I noticed in litigation from our opponents – whether in depositions, motions or at trial. I was told to analyze their words, strategic moves, and tone and body language....
The vote to depose Managing Partner Jessica Pearson of Pearson Hardman, the fictitious law firm in USA Network’s legal drama series Suits, was moments away. She was going to lose. But then star associate Mike Ross barged into the meeting, threw a folder onto the...
Founding Father George Washington has his famous cherry tree story about his honesty (which ironically was untrue). But Founding Father Benjamin Franklin has a real story about his very own mulberry tree behind his Philadelphia house – and it relates to his effective...
Here is Part Two of the negotiation lessons I gleaned from mega movie star and former California Governor and Mr. Universe Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book “Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life” (and here is Part One if you missed it). “If there is one unavoidable truth in...
I recently read mega movie star and former California Governor and Mr. Universe Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book “Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life.” Interestingly, I found a lot of negotiation nuggets in it, all of which were couched as life lessons. Of course, negotiation...
It appears some powerful momentum is currently being generated in the hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The first several hostages were released October 23. Then last week more were released each day of the 4-day negotiated “pause.” (For a good summary of...
I’m a planner, as a core element of what I teach involves creating Strategic Negotiation Plans based on the experts’ proven research. To implement proven negotiation strategies in a systematic, disciplined way, you must plan and think it through before you pick...