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TR U M P STR A TEGI ES FO R R E A L ESTA TE

up, take control by setting acceptable time frames and insisting that
they are met. If you take the time to coordinate the schedules of all
necessary participants you can avoid unforeseen delays.
Try to establish as many “parallel tracks” as possible (i.e., lots of
people working on different parts of the transaction in the same time
period). To the extent that the other side has multiple people work-
ing on the transaction (the broker, lawyer, inspector, etc.) it adds to
their “invested time” account.
Murphy was right when one of his laws stated that everything
takes longer than you think. Unless a delay works in your favor, take
the necessary steps to keep the transaction moving at a reasonable
pace consistent with the size and complexity of the deal.

MORE TACTICS AND COUNTERMEASURES

Take it or leave it. That statement is considered to be fighting words,
and the recipient of that ultimatum is usually seriously offended by
it. To minimize the adverse effect try to tone it down by saying, “I
have other offers” or “Here’s a comparable building at a much lower
price.” Try to leave yourself a way out for face saving should you de-
cide to come back at a later date. The good things to be said about
using “take it or leave it” are that it shortens negotiations and shows
the resolve of the party taking that stand. The countermeasure to
“take it or leave it” is to change the parameters of the discussion. Try
to look for other areas that need further dialogue which may help re-
duce the tension that the ultimatum created and ultimately elimi-
nate it as a factor.
You’ve Got to Do Better Than That (aka “The Crunch”). If you say
“You’ve got to do better than that” to someone their normal reaction
is to modify their position in your favor. If you say it again, they’ll
probably go further. Note that you never indicate that you will ac-

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