The unmistakable shift in the national real estate marketplace can be nicely demonstrated by two questions. Until recently, the main question so many real estate professionals were asking their customers was, "How much over the asking price are you interested in offering?"

But now, as the marketplace continues its steady transition into a more balanced or buyer's market in many areas, the question agents are asking more and more frequently is, "How much would you like to offer?"

And as true negotiations among sellers and buyers (and their respective agents) reenter the picture, it is essential for you to fine-tune your negotiating skills, which may have become a bit rusty when our business was dominated by a strong seller's market.

Here are some tried-and-true negotiating basics that top agents use:

Establish rapport. The fastest way to do so is to find common ground. People enjoy working with agents who genuinely understand the customer's needs and concerns; they also like to be able to relate to them on some level. For example, if you both have teenagers -- or Siamese cats or a collection of vintage Star Wars action figures -- you can quickly establish a common bond. Those are just a few fun examples; the point is, look for ways to identify and bond with potential customers.

Listen. As agents, we need to really hear what our customers are saying -- and just as important, what they are NOT saying. One great way to make sure you understand them is to repeat what they told you using your own words. You might be right on target, or they may say, "Oh no, that is not what I meant." Listening is a critical part of a smooth transaction.

Win-win approach. In every transaction, a point arrives where all parties feel the deal is "fair." It may not be exactly what they had in mind, but it is acceptable nonetheless and they feel like they have not been taken advantage of. The other party gave a bit, too. The faster you can bring everyone to that point in the transaction, the happier both parties will be.

Conversely, if the negotiations drag on and on, people will start drawing lines in the sand and arguing over irrelevant things, like an old green refrigerator which has absolutely no value. Laugh, but admit it: You've seen it happen. Try to avoid it by getting to the "fair" benchmark post haste.

Prepare your buyers. If your buyers know what to expect, they are more comfortable when it happens. For example, if the offer is not "as listed" if you prepare them for a counter-offer, when it happens they will not be surprised or even terribly disappointed.

Prepare your sellers. Let your sellers know as well what to expect. Educate (warn may be a better word) them about know about "no shows" and lower offers. Explain to them the benefits of being both patient and flexible. If someone is ready to pay full price in cash and close in two weeks, can they be ready to move?

Write a good listing/offer to begin with. When you take a listing, make sure it is priced correctly to sell in today's market. Many agents will be pressured to accept a listing based on prices from eight months ago. Sellers are always the last to know (or admit) when the market shifts. Take the listing so it is competitively priced to sell. Discuss the possibility of concessions: points, closing costs, etc. Make it easy -- and enticing -- for the buyers to buy. To compete in this changing market, homes must be clean, in good condition, and realistically priced.

And, although there are many properties to choose from in a buyer's market, write up a good offer. Make it clean -- no unnecessary contingencies. If the buyers want the house, have them offer fair value. If their offer is too low, the sellers may not even counter-offer. Help them buy the property they want with a good offer.

Prepare for your presentation. When listing, prepare a CMA, closing costs, an agreement, marketing pieces, and a website. And be prepared to handle any objections. You know them; we all know them. "I think my home is worth more than that." "Another agent said they would sell it for a smaller commission." "I want to try it myself for a few weeks." For buyers, help them get pre-approved, and prepare an updated CMA and closing costs based on their offer. It is easier on sellers' egos to discuss proceeds than the price they didn't get. Again, it can't be stressed enough: Be prepared to handle objections -- especially if the offer is under list price.

List benefits of the offer. Some components of an offer are just as important, if not more so, than price to the sellers. Be prepared to highlight any benefits of working with particular buyers, such as, they're pre-approved, they're providing a strong earnest money deposit, they're proposing a quick close, there are no extraordinary contingencies, no special concessions, etc. It is important to work with the other agent to make sure this is a non-adversarial event.

Humanize the other party. Gently remind your buyers or sellers that, when all is said and done, they are dealing with other human beings with feelings and emotions. If the potential buyers really liked the garden -- or the décor, the home improvements, the neighborhoods, etc. -- let the sellers know that. Bring buyers to life as real people who would love to buy this home. If the price is not as listed, humanize the buyers. Let the sellers know they looked at many, many homes in this price range and selected this home out of all the homes available. Based on all of the other properties available in this price range, this seemed to them to be a fair offer. Let them know the buyers really wanted to be thoughtful of the sellers' time frame. Balance the good and the not so good: time vs. price.

Keep the end in mind. Real estate transactions can be emotional. As the agent, you must always keep the end in mind. You must guide the discussions and perhaps the counter-offers. Never badmouth the other party with comments such as, "The buyers shouldn't be looking in this price range if they can't afford it!" Your expertise can bring the transaction to fruition. Keeping your agency responsibilities in mind, the goal is a transaction that closes.

So there you have it, 10 fail-proof ways to make sure you're ready to help your buyers and sellers in any real estate market, regardless of which of those two questions are in play.

Any questions?