--- title: The Quiet Return of Negotiation in Real Estate description: As the southern Maine and New Hampshire housing markets shift, negotiation is returning. Here's why understanding what matters most can make all the difference. image: https://priscillaweston.com/hubfs/coffee%20at%20the%20table.jpeg --- [![2025logo](https://priscillaweston.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2025logo.png?width=85&height=85&name=2025logo.png "2025logo")](https://www.priscillaweston.com) [![](https://priscillaweston.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2025logo.png?width=250&height=250&name=2025logo.png)](http://Priscilla%20Band%20Weston,%20Realtor) [![](https://priscillaweston.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2025logo.png?width=250&height=250&name=2025logo.png)](http://Priscilla%20Band%20Weston,%20Realtor) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. - [Home](https://priscillaweston.com) - [Listings](https://priscillaweston.com/listing) - [About](https://priscillaweston.com/about-us) - [Contact](https://priscillaweston.com/contact1) - [Blog](https://priscillaweston.com/blog) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # The Quiet Return of Negotiation in Real Estate by [Priscilla Weston](https://priscillaweston.com/blog/author/priscilla-weston) | May 12, 2026 One of my favorite parts of real estate has always been negotiation. Not the dramatic kind you see on TV. Not the aggressive, chest-thumping, *I crushed the other side* kind. That has never particularly impressed me. **The part I love is figuring out what actually matters to people.** Because most successful negotiations aren't really about getting everything you want. They're about getting very clear on the one or two things that matter most, and being willing to compromise on the things that don't. And that's true whether you're buying or selling a house. ## Not Every Seller Wants the Same Thing. Sometimes a seller needs the absolute highest price possible. Sometimes they need certainty. Maybe they're navigating a divorce, relocating for work, managing an estate, or trying to coordinate the sale of one home with the purchase of another. A slightly lower offer with fewer complications and a reliable closing date might be more attractive than a higher offer with significant uncertainty. And sometimes, the house has been in the family for forty years. The seller knows every creaky floorboard. Their children grew up there. They planted the trees in the backyard when they were little saplings. Of course the financial outcome matters. But they may also find some comfort in knowing the next owner will appreciate the place they've called home for so long. Those are very different priorities. And understanding them can change how a negotiation unfolds. ## Buyers Have Priorities, Too. Some buyers are focused on keeping their monthly payment as low as possible. Others are willing to take on renovations because they'd rather build equity over time than pay a premium for someone else's design choices. Some need to move immediately. Others have the flexibility to wait several months, accommodate a seller's preferred closing date, or even consider a temporary lease-back arrangement if it helps them purchase a home in the neighborhood where they want to stay long term. There's no universally correct way to structure a real estate transaction. What matters is understanding which terms are genuinely important to the people involved. And which ones aren't. ## Please Tell Me What You Actually Care About. This is something I wish more buyers and sellers understood. **You do not need to play it cool with your own real estate agent.** You don't need to pretend you're less excited about a house than you really are. You don't need to hide the fact that you're anxious about carrying two mortgages, worried about inspection findings, or hoping to be settled before the school year starts. You don't need to act like price is the only thing that matters if it isn't. I need to know those things. Not because I'm going to share your personal circumstances with the other side, but because I need to understand what I'm protecting when we negotiate. There's a big difference between being transparent with your own agent and revealing your negotiating position to everyone else. My job is to understand your priorities, help you evaluate your options, and communicate strategically on your behalf. And I can do that much more effectively when I know what actually matters to you. ## The Market Is Making Room for These Conversations Again. For several years, buying a house often felt like participating in a competitive sport nobody had particularly wanted to sign up for. Homes were selling almost immediately. Buyers were making decisions under enormous pressure, sometimes waiving inspections or other protections just to remain competitive. There wasn't always much opportunity for thoughtful negotiation. You made your strongest offer, crossed your fingers, and hoped for the best. But as the market has begun shifting toward more balanced conditions in parts of southern Maine and coastal New Hampshire, something interesting has been happening. **Negotiation is quietly making a comeback.** Not everywhere, and certainly not on every property. Well-priced homes in desirable locations can still attract multiple offers and move quickly. But other properties are spending more time on the market, and buyers and sellers are finding opportunities to have conversations that weren't always possible a few years ago. Conversations about inspection findings. Closing timelines. Seller concessions. Repairs. Included furnishings or appliances. The details that can make a transaction work for both parties. And frankly, I think that's a healthier way to do business. ## A Good Negotiation Isn't Always About the Price. Imagine a seller who needs another sixty days in their home before moving. A buyer who's renting month-to-month might have the flexibility to accommodate that timeline. That flexibility could be genuinely valuable to the seller, even if the buyer isn't offering the highest price. Or consider a buyer who's concerned about their upfront closing costs. Depending on the financing and terms involved, negotiating a seller concession might be more helpful than negotiating a similar reduction in the purchase price. Sometimes a relatively small adjustment in the structure of an offer makes a meaningful difference. This is why I love the strategy involved. You're not simply trying to extract the maximum possible concession from the other person. You're trying to understand the circumstances, identify where flexibility exists, and build an agreement that protects your client's interests. Sometimes that means pushing hard on price. Sometimes it means holding firm on an inspection contingency. And sometimes it means recognizing that the thing your client cares about most costs the other party very little to accommodate. Those are my favorite moments. ## Back to the Fundamentals I don't think negotiation should be about intimidation or proving who's the better salesperson. I think it should be about listening carefully, understanding the available information, recognizing leverage, and knowing when to stand firm and when to be flexible. A good negotiation doesn't necessarily leave everyone thrilled with every detail. But it should leave my client feeling that their priorities were understood, their interests were protected, and their decisions were informed. And as the market continues to evolve, I hope we see more opportunities for that kind of thoughtful strategy. Because real estate is rarely just a math problem. **It's usually a life problem wearing a math costume.** And that's what makes it interesting. Priscilla ✨ *Priscilla Weston | Realtor with Archer & Associates* *Serving York County, Maine, and the New Hampshire Seacoast.* - - - - Recent posts [I Have Trust Issues With Freshly Painted Basements (And Other Things I Notice at House Showings)](https://priscillaweston.com/blog/i-have-trust-issues-with-freshly-painted-basements-and-other-things-i-notice-at-house-showings) [Apparently, This Is the Best Week of the Year to Buy a House](https://priscillaweston.com/blog/apparently-this-is-the-best-week-of-the-year-to-buy-a-house) [A Small House for Someone With Big Plans](https://priscillaweston.com/blog/a-small-house-for-someone-with-big-plans) [I Wish I Could Clone My Last Seller](https://priscillaweston.com/blog/i-wish-i-could-clone-my-last-seller) [The Best Homes Leave Room for Possibility](https://priscillaweston.com/blog/the-best-homes-leave-room-for-possibility) Keller Williams Coastal and Lakes & Mountains Realty 750 Lafayette Rd. #201 Portsmouth, NH 03801 [O: 603.610.8500](tel:317-234-5678) [C: 207.218.0240](tel:317-234-5678) FOLLOW ALONG [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/priscillabandweston) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/priscillabandweston/) - HOME - [LISTINGS](https://priscillaweston.com/listings) - [ABOUT](https://priscillaweston.com/about) - [CONTACT](https://priscillaweston.com/contact) - SEARCH © 2024 Priscilla Band Weston, REALTOR |  Privacy Policy ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Priscilla Weston", "url" : "https://priscillaweston.com/blog/author/priscilla-weston" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-15T18:14:16.927Z", "datePublished" : "2026-05-12T14:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "The Quiet Return of Negotiation in Real Estate", "image" : [ "https://priscillaweston.com/hubfs/coffee%20at%20the%20table.jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://priscillaweston.com/blog/the-quiet-return-of-negotiation-in-real-estate", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://priscillaweston.com/hubfs/2025logo.png" }, "name" : "Priscilla Band Weston, Realtor" } } ```