08/28/2026
You wanted the listing so badly that you agreed to a price you didn’t believe in.
Then you reduced your compensation to make sure you got it.
Read that again.
Before you ever put the sign in the yard, you’ve already shown how you negotiate when something you want is on the line.
That should make BOTH sides think.
Because when someone says, “I need to get $___ for my house,” there’s nothing wrong with that.
But here are the questions I think we should be asking:
What does the market actually support?
What research went into the recommended launch price?
If another agent says they can get significantly more, can they show you WHY?
And if the only way to win the listing is to agree with the highest number and charge the lowest amount…
what exactly are we competing on?
Here’s where it gets uncomfortable.
If I’m willing to abandon my own research because I’m afraid of losing the listing, what does that say about my professional judgment?
If I immediately give up my own compensation when there’s pressure, what does that demonstrate about my negotiating skills?
And if you’re trusting me to eventually negotiate YOUR money…
shouldn’t you want to see how I negotiate mine?
This isn’t about never negotiating.
It isn’t about an agent always being right.
And if I give you my professional recommendation and you choose not to follow it, that’s one thing.
But I know what goes into my launch-price recommendation.
I know what it costs to market and sell a home at the level I promise.
I know my numbers.
And I know my worth.
Sometimes you have to be willing to lose the listing.
Because the business you accept out of fear can cost you a hell of a lot more than the business you were willing to walk away from.
So here’s the question:
Would you rather hire the agent who tells you what you want to hear…
or the one willing to risk losing your business to tell you what you need to know?
