Different ways to ask for their lowest price

[Mario T.]

When dealing with a seller sometimes it's hard to get them to give you a starting price. What are different ways to ask them the same question until they crack? Or what strategies do you use to get them to say a price?

[Mark F.]

@Mario T.  I think even more important is to find out why they're selling. Build some rapport, ask open ended questions about the property to get them talking and find out important info about deferred maintenance, improvements, etc., then ease into some open ended questions about why they're selling. If you can find out the motivation behind the sale, it will be a much easier deal to crack. You want to get the conversation off of price and more on how the seller's life will be better by selling. You're not just some guy buying a house, you're somebody who is solving a problem for the seller. They're selling for reason; people don't just pick up and move for the heck of it. By finding out the "why", you can make your offers more about the how the seller's life will be better and less about price.