How to Talk to Your Seller About a Buyer’s Requests for Repairs

Imagine this…

You're representing a seller, and after months of effort, the property is finally under contract, and the inspection is complete. The end of the process is in sight, both for you and for your client.

Then, the buyer's agent comes to you with a long list of repair requests.

How excited are you to have that conversation with your seller?

You probably get a knot in your stomach just thinking about it.

You're worried they'll tank the deal over these requests.

You're afraid they'll blame you for this situation.

You're thinking of ways to downplay and sugarcoat this news.

That's the typical approach, and it does NOT work very well.

Let's look at how you can approach this conversation with Tactical Empathy instead.

1️⃣ Prepare your Accusations Audit.

In this situation, you're about to deliver bad news, so the best way to make them feel understood is to use an Accusations Audit.

(Simply put, it's a series of labels calling out the negative things they might be thinking or feeling in this situation.) 

Think about all of the fears and potential anger that may surface for the seller when they hear that a buyer is trying to renegotiate what had already been settled, and they’re in danger of losing the sale price they’ve been counting on. 

Are these buyers actually serious buyers? Are they trying to get out of this deal? Are they just trying to manipulate me? Is this a slippery slope for more negotiation? Where will this end? Why is this my problem? This is an old house, of course it has some flaws. I’m not paying for their renovations.

Dig even deeper, thinking about the concerns connected to your seller’s specific circumstances. 

• Did they already spend money getting the house ready for market? 
• Had they made price adjustments along the way? 
• Did they already commit to accepting less than they originally hoped and planned for? 
• Was this a tough negotiation with these buyers? 
• Are finances tight? 
• Is the contract price essential for their next move? 
• Will they disagree with the report? 
• Are there other people in their selling committee? 
• Are they concerned about what their selling committee will think about them giving in to pressure to renegotiate? 
• Will they feel embarrassed that the house has these issues? 
• What type of negotiator are they? 
• How did they approach coming to their sale price? 
• Are they Assertives for whom this will be a clear, bottom-line decision? 
• Are they Accommodators who are in love with this property and will be offended by the report? 
• Are they Analysts who will need to sit with the report, and the request and take some time to think it through?

Take the time to evaluate the situation from your seller’s perspective in as much detail as possible. Then write down your Accusations Audit, using the most visceral terms you can think of. Compose your list from most potent to least potent.

Your labels may sounds something like:

• You’re probably going to want to walk away from this deal.

• You might want to fire me when you hear what I have to say.

• You’re going to think these buyers are reaching into your pocket and stealing from you.

• You probably already feel like you’ve done way more than your fair share to make this deal work.

• You’re probably going to wonder why you ever agreed to deal with these buyers.

• You may decide you don’t even want to sell the house.

• You’re probably going to want to reach through this phone and strangle me.

2️⃣Address the situation as quickly as possible.

Do NOT delay—that can only make things worse.

As soon as your Accusations Audit is prepared, get on the phone OR reach out via text or email to secure a time to speak on the phone: “There is something we need to discuss that you are not going to like. Would it be impossible for us to get on the phone?”

3️⃣Deliver your Accusations Audit.

First, brace them for bad news.

I have some really bad news about the inspection report.

It is going to break your heart. / This is going to piss you off. / You are going to be shocked. (Choose the one that seems like the best fit for your seller's personality)

Then, deliver your Accusations Audit in a slow, even, calm tone. Let each statement stand on its own. Don’t stack them together with “and.” Don’t negate what you’ve said with “but.” Don’t explain what you’ve said with “because.” All those additional words ERASE the intended effect.

Deliver each statement, and then let it sit for 2-3 seconds, giving your client time to absorb it. A great measure of time is to take one, slow, deep breath before you proceed to the next. (Bonus—deep breaths keep you calm, and help to keep your tone low and slow)

Continue delivering these until your client stops you, until you hear something definitive like, “Enough already, get to the point!” or “It can’t be that bad, just tell me. You’re making me nervous!”

4️⃣ Deliver the news, then LISTEN. 

The buyers have received the inspection report, and they’re requesting X.

Don’t minimize what you’re relaying.

Stop talking and let them respond.

They may have a big reaction. Listen, and respond with Mirrors and Labels as appropriate to make them feel understood.

That may sound something like this…

Client: This is outrageous. We already put tons of money into repairs that you asked us to make before listing. We already came down from our price. These people are nuts!

Agent: It sounds like this has really caught you off guard. It feels like you might be regretting how much you already compromised. It seems like I failed to prepare you for this potential request.

Client: That’s right. OR No, it’s not that, we just ….X.

5️⃣ Ask how they'd like to proceed.

Once it seems that they've said all that they need to say, and it’s clear that you have made them feel understood, ask: “How would you like to proceed?”

They may respond with something like, “What do you think we should do? We’re looking to you for advice.”  

In that case, reassure them that you will give them your opinion, then ask them to first share what they’re thinking. That might sound something like this:

“It sounds like you’re really interested in my opinion/guidance. I will be happy to share that with you. Before I do that, would you mind sharing with me what you think might be a good idea?”

Hear them out, whatever they have to say. It doesn’t matter if what they say is a "good" idea or a "bad" idea. It doesn’t even matter if they don’t have much of an idea at all. The effect will be the same. You will have extended that Tactical Empathy olive branch to them. They will feel heard and respected, and they will be willing to extend the favor back to you. 

Also, they will have aired their thoughts and cleared their minds so that they are now able to be as smart as you need them to be as you lay out your thoughts for them to consider. 

Before you share your perspective, get permission to do so:

“Would you object to me sharing some options you may want to consider?”

Once they give you permission, walk them through what you see as their options. That might sound something like this:

“You have options. You can agree to make all or some of the repairs. You can offer a credit at closing to cover some or all of the repairs. You can renegotiate the offer price to some extent. You can say no to the entire request, and let the buyer walk away if they so choose. What would you like to do? (OR What feels best to you? OR What is the most comfortable course of action for you?)”

Two things to be mindful of throughout this conversation…

DON'T minimize or sugar coat the request that is being made.

As an agent, the request may seem entirely reasonable to you. Remember that, for the seller, any request that impacts their proceeds is more than they want to consider.

Remember it’s not your house, and it’s not your money.

DON'T skip the step of asking for them to share their thoughts first.

When a client is asking for your opinion, it’s tempting to jump right in with it. After all, they asked you! If you provide your opinion first, you lose the benefit of letting them clear their minds first. You lose the benefit of gaining greater understanding of how they may be thinking about the situation. You lose the benefit of making them feel understood and gaining their trust.

As I've said before, you don’t need to think for them. You just need to understand what they’re thinking.

Have a great weekend!

Laurie

PS - If you want more Tactical Empathy in your life, join us in the Daily Accountability Calls! You can test drive the program for FREE for 14 days—click here to start your trial.