Buyers Drive Hard Bargains in a Tough Market

Unrealistic buyers are ruining the deal for sellers who are unwilling to make extreme concessions, some real estate practitioners complain.

''We see buyers who must have learned their moves from the World Wrestling Federation,'' says Glenn Kelman, CEO of the online brokerage Redfin. ''They think the final smack-down occurs at the inspection, where the seller will be reluctant to refuse any demand because the alternative is putting the house back on the market as damaged goods.''

But buyers say they're simply being smart.

''We had the position, 'If the seller is willing to come down enough, we will buy this home.' If they weren't willing, we would have just moved on. In this market, you have a lot of options,'' says Chris Dunn, a consultant in Chicago, who sought a 10 percent reduction on a property priced at more than $500,000.

Source: The New York Times, David Streitfeld (06/17/2010)