Most people think negotiations are won by what you say.
In reality, they’re often won—or lost—by how you respond to one simple thing:

Questions.

Good negotiators are masters at using questions to gather information, control the pace, and shape outcomes. But here’s what most people miss:

Your ability to respond to questions well is just as important as your ability to ask them.

If you mishandle questions—especially in high‑stakes negotiations like buying or selling a home—you can:

• Reveal far more than you meant to

• Signal desperation or weakness

• Lose leverage you never even knew you had

• Walk away leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table

In real estate, that can be the difference between financial security and a painful, lingering sense that you “got taken.”

Below are six powerful, practical rules for answering questions in a negotiation. Ignore them, and you risk being outmaneuvered. Use them, and you immediately separate yourself from the average, unprepared negotiator.

1. Never Answer a Question Immediately

Skilled negotiators always pause before answering.

That pause does three powerful things:

1. It signals confidence and control.

2. It gives you time to think and frame your response strategically.

3. It subtly reminds the other side that you’re not easily pushed or rushed.

Without that pause, you’re likely to:

• Blurt out information you didn’t intend to share

• Commit to something prematurely

• Sound defensive, nervous, or overly eager

In negotiations around real estate—price, repairs, terms, timelines—that one impulsive answer can cost you dearly.

Make it a habit:
Pause. Breathe. Think. Then answer.

2. Recognize When Questions Are Meant to Put You on Defense

Not every question is an honest attempt to gather information.

Many are strategic weapons designed to:

• Knock you off balance

• Get you to justify yourself

• Make you reveal your bottom line

• Push you into reactive, not proactive, thinking

For example:

• “So what’s the lowest you’ll really take?”

• “Why has your home been on the market this long?”

• “Are you sure you can actually qualify for this price?”

These aren’t just questions. They’re control moves.

Instead of falling into their trap, you can:

• Compliment the question:

  • “That’s a thoughtful question…”

• Ask why they’re asking:

  • “I’m curious, what’s behind that question?”

• Shift back to your agenda with a question of your own:

  • “Before I answer that, let me ask you…”

If you don’t learn this skill, you’ll constantly feel like you’re defending yourself… and people who are on defense rarely win negotiations.

3. Remember: Not All Questions Deserve an Answer

One of the most underused but devastatingly effective tools in negotiation is silence.

Sometimes the best answer is:

• A pause

• A raised eyebrow

• A neutral, thoughtful expression

• Or simply moving on and asking a question of your own

This can be especially powerful when someone asks:

• An intrusive question

• A manipulative question

• An unfair or loaded question

Silence and a calm redirect can completely disarm the other side.
Parents know this works wonders with kids. Smart negotiators use it with buyers, sellers, and agents too.

If you instinctively feel you “must” answer everything you’re asked, you’re putting yourself at a serious disadvantage.

4. Stop Trying to Please the Other Side With Your Answers

Too many people frame their answers to please their opponent, not to protect their position.

Being overly accommodating in your responses sends dangerous signals:

• “I’m ready to concede.”

• “I’m flexible to the point of weakness.”

• “Keep pushing—I’ll keep giving.”

In a real estate negotiation, this results in:

• Price drops you didn’t need to make

• Concessions on repairs, credits, or timelines

• Agreeing to terms that feel “off” but you can’t quite explain why

You can be polite, calm, and respectful without being overly pleasing or submissive.

Your answers should protect your interests, not erode them.

5. Soften Tough Answers Without Surrendering

Sometimes the truthful, strategic answer isn’t what the other side wants to hear.

When your response might sound combative or harsh, don’t water it down—soften its delivery, not its substance.

A simple preface can work wonders:

• “You may not like hearing me say this, but…”

• “This may not be the answer you were hoping for, but…”

• “To be completely transparent with you…”

This approach:

• Preserves honesty

• Maintains your boundaries

• Avoids needless escalation

If you don’t learn to deliver firm answers in a calm, respectful way, you’ll either fold too easily or create unnecessary conflict—both of which cost you money and peace of mind.

6. Answer the Right Question, Not Always the One Asked

Today’s politicians are rarely models of integrity—but they are masters of one strategic move:

They answer the question they wish they’d been asked, not always the one they were actually asked.

That doesn’t mean being evasive or dishonest. It means:

• Staying “on message”

• Steering the conversation back to what matters most to your goals

• Using a question as a bridge to the key points you need to emphasize

For example:

• “That’s a fair point. But before I address that directly, let me say…”

• “You bring up a good question. It actually ties into something important I want to explain…”

Before you even enter a negotiation, especially in real estate, you should be asking yourself:

• “What do I hope they ask me?”

• “What key points do I want to make no matter what?”

Then prepare those answers in advance and use bridging statements to get there.

If you walk into negotiations without this preparation, you’re hoping things go your way instead of making them go your way.

7. Say Less. Mean More.

The most powerful responses in negotiation are often:

• Short

• Clear

• Deliberate

The more you talk:

• The more you reveal

• The more you can be misinterpreted

• The more chances you have to undermine your own position

Remember:

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

Once you say something, you cannot unsay it.

You can’t “unring the bell” on:

• A number you casually mentioned

• A concession you floated “just to see”

• A timeline or term you hinted you might accept

Your standard should be:

• Fewer words

• Shorter sentences

• Carefully chosen phrasing

Especially when dealing with experienced agents, investors, or savvy buyers and sellers—because they know how to use your words against you.

If You’re Negotiating Real Estate for Palos Verdes Homes or Beach Cities Real Estate, Here’s the Hard Truth

Every one of the techniques above sounds simple.
But in the heat of a real negotiation—your money, your home, your future on the line—most people do not use them.

They:

• Answer too fast

• Reveal too much

• Try too hard to please

• Get drawn into defensive explanations

• Talk themselves into a worse deal

And the worst part?
They often don’t even realize it happened until long after closing.

If you’re buying or selling a home in Palos Verdes and you walk into a negotiation without a clear strategy for how to answer questions, you are almost certainly giving the other side an edge—whether that’s a seasoned agent, a savvy buyer, or an aggressive investor.

You’ve worked too hard for your money and your equity to lose it because of a few unplanned, poorly framed answers.

Your Next Step: Don’t Negotiate Alone

If you’re serious about:

• Protecting your equity

• Not leaving money on the table

• Avoiding one‑sided deals that favor the other side

• Navigating tough questions with confidence, not fear

Then you shouldn’t be negotiating real estate in Palos Verdes without a professional who lives and breathes this every day.

I help my clients:

• Prepare the right answers before negotiations start

• Stay in control when tough or manipulative questions come up

• Use silence, timing, and framing to their advantage

• Walk away knowing they didn’t get pushed, rushed, or played

If you’re planning to buy or sell—or you’re already in the middle of a negotiation and feeling that uncomfortable tug that you might be giving too much—I invite you to reach out.

Contact me directly: (use the “CONTACT US” tab at the top of this page or the blue “Calendly” link at the bottom or …

• Name: George Fotion

• Company: Call Realty Best Palos Verdes Homes

• Email: george.fotion@homeispalosverdes.com

• Cell: 424‑722‑9136

Search for homes the safe way—without being tracked or sold out to advertisers:

• Private home search (your data is not sold): SearchHomesInPrivate.com

Learn more about the Palos Verdes market and my services:

• Main website: PalosVerdesHomesBest.com

If you’re about to negotiate on what is likely one of the largest financial decisions of your life, don’t improvise your answers and hope for the best.

Get strategy. Get protection. Get representation.

Then—keep negotiating, but do it from a position of strength.

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