The Meaning of Win-Win in Real Estate is Usually Singular

Win-win in real estate doesn’t really exist in seller’s markets.

My second husband, who is dead now, used to talk about win-win in real estate all of the time. He truly believed that transactions could be win-win. His reasoning? The seller would get the home sold at list price, although not necessarily the way they wanted, and the buyer gets everything the buyer wants. That’s not win-win to me. This guy believed in win-win so much because he always believed his own lies. You know, sort of like Trump, when he repeats a lie enough times, he believes his own alternative facts.

In fact, and don’t laugh, we once owned two tiny Yorkshire terriers. He named the dogs win-win. Win-Win 1 and Win-Win 2. We couldn’t housebreak either one of them, so how win-win was that? They got new homes with our friends.

Sometimes I get buyer’s agents asking for a win-win transaction. Which is a myth. I don’t know where they get this crap. Maybe from my dead ex-husband. He was a national seminar speaker. Which means shit. Usually agents mean they want the seller to discount the price so their buyer can afford to buy the home. I say if the buyer can’t pay list price, maybe the buyers should be looking at a listing they can afford.

But of course, I represent sellers, so I would think that way. In my opinion, my sellers should get list price or better. Sellers hire me for that reason. If a buyer wants to buy the home, that’s the price of the home. If they want to get a “deal,” they are barking up the wrong tree.

Some buyer’s agents complain to me. They say I should be “more cooperative.” Meaning I should favor the buyer. That’s not gonna work. It’s a bit audacious for an agent to suggest. Look buddy, do you want to buy the home? Then pay the price the seller has agreed to sell at. Otherwise, mosey on down the road. There is no true win-win in real estate. In my world, one party always makes out a little bit better.

Especially in our Sacramento real estate market of today, it is the buyers who need to conform. Not the sellers. If sellers give away part of their profit, it’s called compromising, not win-win. Rarely do I see sellers willing to give money to the buyer. The team members on the Elizabeth Weintraub Team write offers that get accepted because they are not trying to play the win-win game, either.