There are thousands of real estate agents according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. So in order for you to stand out and be the best, you need more than a license and knowledge of the real estate market. Most agents call it quits after a few years not because they lack the muscle to soldier on during tough times, but simply because they do not know how to negotiate. This makes them always fail to convince real estate investors to sell or motivate a buyer to splash out the cash on a property. Here are some ways that you can be the best real estate agent and always be in a position to make the best deal.

• Don’t Talk Just Listen

When you want to negotiate, listen first and speak later. When a client throws an offer on the table, do not react immediately. Mull over the offer before you respond. Most clients interpret this as disappointment and would review the offer. Master negotiators use this art to get less experienced people to make lower offers without having to open their mouths and make a counter-offer.

• Information is King

The best real estate agent is the one with information at his disposal. During negotiations, it is important to know the objectives and the motives behind any deal. Negotiations are not always about money. It might be more about solving a problem rather than money. Some smart agents realize this and use it effectively to their advantage.

Imagine if there are 2 desperate agents jostling for an available property. One agent might think that the buyer with the most money wins and might want to ask for an extra month for his client to get financing. The second agent might ask the seller why his property is on the market. The seller might say that he has to take a job offer overseas and needs to move in the next 2 weeks. This savvy agent can close the deal by paying less in 2 weeks with no inspection contingencies.

The first agent offered more money but lost out. The second agent offered less and won. Why? He solved a problem and that was because he garnered information from the seller before making his offer.

• Massage Egos

Avoid being an agent who is driven by a “winning ego” rather than doing business properly and preserving business relationships. Some agents would clamor for their last penny in commissions; others just walk away with an ego massage and collect all their entitlements.

You can turn the tables on contractors or even buyers by doing the exact thing. You can tell them you do not like doing business with them because they are so persuasive and convincing. Flattery can get you into certain places. You would be surprised how this can work to your benefit and ensure that you come out tops in a deal. This does not only make the other person lower his defenses. He might also feel that he owes you one and offer you a better price in future.

Market price fluctuations can affect any real estate investment. The value of the investment is tied to several different factors, including the conditions of the real estate market, the economy, availability of properties, and some other things. Unlike the stock market or some other investment markets, real estate investment values do not rapidly fluctuate. It will not rise or fall a large amount in a short period of time. This means that real estate investors should plan on a long term investment to get the most return for their investment. There can be very profitable real estate investments no matter what the market is doing, but if it is a sellers market you will have a harder time finding a big bargain, and your profit margin may be less.

There are some strategies available to help real estate investors cope with market fluctuations. The first of these is to research your specific real estate market. Try to understand the large scale trends concerning specific individual neighborhoods, national, and regional real estate. Find out about preferred and target neighborhoods, and what streets they contain. Some real estate professionals may be willing to discuss how to interpret any market indicators, like what the average sitting time for houses this month is compared to a past time and what this means for the market. This information can help you make more informed decisions concerning your real estate investments and minimize the risks involved.

Another strategy that real estate investors should be knowledgeable about are real estate inventory trends and how to interpret them. Inventory basically means the number or amount of properties for sale, and this is a very reliable indicator of what the market will do. If there is a low real estate inventory, then it is a sellers market and values will probably rise because of high demand and low supply. If there is a high real estate inventory, then the value of property will decrease because of high supply and low demand. By understanding these inventory trends, the real estate investor can pick the optimum time to buy and sell, which will lead to a bigger return on their real estate investment.

A common real estate investment strategy is to take advantage of falling markets. When property values fall it will take a lot longer to sell a property, and some sellers become very motivated. This is when you can find the great investment deals. Usually the market will rebound after a period of time, and the value will go back up. This allows the real estate investor to have a much greater profit margin.

By following market trends, understanding the real estate market trends and how to interpret them, and taking advantage of falling markets, a real estate investor does not have to be bothered about market fluctuations. These can give an investor a good indicator of what the market may do, and can give a higher return on investments, meaning more money in profits