Master the 2 Phases of Seller Negotiation: Get More Creative Real Estate Deals Without Arguing

Master the 2 Phases of Seller Negotiation: Get More Creative Real Estate Deals Without Arguing Yo champ, do you keep talking to motivated sellers... but you're not getting the deals?Do they ghost you? Or say they’ll “think about it” and disappear?It’s because you're missing this one skill: understanding the two phases of negotiation.Most people jump in trying to “close the deal” — and completely skip the real work that builds trust and makes the seller WANT to work with you. Champ, I’ve been an entrepreneur since 9th grade in high school and a real estate investor since 2006.And all that time, I’ve never borrowed money from a sticky banker or held a résumé job.Today’s session — today’s lesson — is all about mastering the two phases of negotiation with a motivated seller.Let’s dive in. There are two phases in every seller negotiation: ✅ Phase 1: The Gathering Phase✅ Phase 2: The Closing/Checking Phase Most new investors mess this up because they treat the whole conversation like one giant pitch. But negotiation isn’t a battlefield. It’s a dance. A relationship. And each phase has its own strategy. This is where most of the magic happens — before you even make an offer. 📌 Whether you're cold calling, or returning a lead that submitted a form on your website — your only goal in this phase is to build connection and gather information. That’s it. Let me be super clear… ❌ You're NOT negotiating here.❌ You're NOT arguing about price or comps.❌ You're NOT trying to “win.” This isn’t the time to talk about “your side” versus “their side.” That’s rookie talk. Instead, you want to build rapport and keep the flow of information wide open — like water pouring down a clean pipe. If they say, “My house is worth $200K” and you know it’s worth $90K, you don’t say, “No way, you're wrong.”You say something neutral:“Okay, I hear you.”“Sure, makes sense.”“Gotcha.” You're not agreeing. You're not disagreeing. You're simply staying neutral so you don’t create separation. Why? Because once the seller feels defensive, they shut down — and you lose access to the real problems they're facing. And remember — your job as a creative investor is to solve problems, not just buy property. Now here’s what most students, assistants, or even sales reps miss: they think “building rapport” means asking a bunch of scripted questions. That’s not it. 📌 Building rapport means actually listening. Not just hearing. Listening. Hearing is passive.Listening is processing. It’s absorbing. It’s connecting dots. You ask:“Why are you selling?”And they say:“Well, my roof keeps leaking and the repairs are killing me.” Then 60 seconds later you ask:“So how much are the repairs?” 🤦‍♂️ You just told them you weren’t listening. If you listen carefully, they’ll tell you everything you need to know — motivation, pain points, timelines. You won’t even need to ask “how much do you want for it” until much later. And if you're not listening — you’re not solving.And if you're not solving — you’re not getting deals. Let me show you a real-world example: You're walking through the seller’s home and you see a full weight set. ✅ Most people ignore it. ✅ But me? I work out. So I say:“Oh man, you lift? When’d you get into it?”“What do you train — full body or split?”“Mind if I jump on the pull-up bar?” Boom. Now we’re friends. And now we’re not talking about price. We’re talking about connection — and trust. That’s the foundation for creative deals: Sub2, Seller Finance, Wraps, all of it. And if you're thinking, “Well I don’t work out,” that’s okay — find something you can relate on. Dog lover? Guitar player? Veteran? Find the human link. By the way, if you're brand new and you want to start learning these negotiation skills without taking big risks… I created The New Flip — the smartest way to start flipping and make money today.You’ll learn how to spot deals, negotiate like a boss, and build that muscle of confidence — all by flipping everyday stuff like bicycles. It’s exactly how I started — and those same skills helped me crush it in real estate. 👉 Grab it at TheNewFlip.com Once you've gathered enough info and built strong rapport, then — and only then — you move into Phase 2:The Checking Phase. This is where you start making soft jabs. Just like in boxing — you don’t throw a haymaker first. You test the waters. You ask: 👊 “If I could take over the payments and handle all the repairs, would you consider terms?” 👊 “What would you do if the house doesn’t sell in 30 days?” 👊 “What’s more important to you — speed or price?” Now you're checking motivation. You're probing gently. You're planting seeds. But remember — the strength of your negotiation depends on the strength of your rapport from Phase 1. If you rush here too fast, it’s over.