Debbie De Grote offers negotiation strategies amid new industry rules

This week on the RealTrending podcast, Tracey Velt sits down with Debbie De Grote, founder of Forward Coaching, a leading real estate and business coaching company.

Debbie and Tracey discuss the importance of informed negotiation skills in today’s market and how agents can readily adapt to changing policies and regulations. They also explore the new challenges that agents face when working with buyers and sellers, and talk about how to avoid common mistakes when talking to clients. 

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• High-level negotiation and questioning skills are crucial for agents.
• Agents need to be ready to adapt to new policies and procedures post-NAR settlement.
• Avoid pulling clients into the drama of negotiations.
• Negotiation should be a collaborative process, not an aggressive one.
• Focus on understanding the nuances of your local market.

Here’s a small preview of today’s interview. The transcript below has been lightly edited for length and clarity:

Tracey Velt: I want to talk, in general, negotiation mistakes. What are some of the top mistakes that you see and how to correct them?

Debbe De Grote: The number one mistake is assuming that you have to be an aggressive hammer — a bulldog. I see a lot of agents that approach the negotiation that way, and people don’t like to work with them, right? They think that’s how they go about winning for their client.

I’m such a big fan of Chris Voss, he’s the ex-FBI hostage negotiator. And one of the points he always makes is that a truly fine negotiator, comes at this with a collaborative approach. A problem solving approach. They are the calm, cool force in the transaction.

He even talks about tonality in the negotiation. He calls it the late night DJ voice. And he says, if you have an aggressive demeanor and an aggressive tonality, you need to understand that will not serve you well in a negotiation. Calm down, slow down, and collaborate. There’s a difference between tough, aggressive, and the relentless pursuit of strategically working on behalf of your client.

The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch.