After 40 years in real estate, I’ve seen one truth play out again and again: most deals don’t fall apart over price. They fall apart because we argue positions instead of uncovering what really matters.
Let me show you what I mean.
The “Uncle Problem” vs. the “Math Problem”
A seller says: “I won’t take a penny less than $1 million.”
Most agents immediately pull out comps, graphs, and market stats to prove the client wrong. That’s still arguing a position. It rarely works and often hardens their stance.
Instead, I use what I call the PIE Model:
- P – Position: The stated demand (e.g., “I need $1M”).
- I – Interest: What’s driving that position? (e.g., “My uncle told me I’d be an idiot to sell for less.”)
- E – Emotion: The deeper drivers underneath (e.g., loyalty, fear of loss, pride).
Here’s why it matters:
- If it’s an uncle problem, you’re not dealing with pricing. You’re dealing with family influence.
- If it’s a math problem (e.g., they need $1M because of a purchase already lined up), you’re negotiating around financing and logistics.
- And often, beneath both sits an emotional driver (belonging, fear, status) that must be addressed for the deal to move forward.
When you stop debating positions and start uncovering interests and emotions, negotiations shift. You’re no longer in conflict with your client, you’re solving the real problem with them.
Why This Matters Now
The market is more uncertain than ever. Buyers are anxious, sellers are stubborn, and deals are harder to hold together. This is where negotiation intelligence becomes your biggest competitive edge.
Want to Go Deeper?
The PI Model is just one of the frameworks I teach inside my Accredited Real Estate Negotiator (AREN) Training. A live, small-group program designed for Canadian agents who want to move from average results to top-tier performance.
In the September 9–10 session, we’ll go beyond the PIE Model into:
- SHIFT Model: How to change a client’s perspective without conflict
- BATNA: The hidden source of power in every negotiation
If you’re ready to sharpen the skills that protect your deals and your commissions, you belong in this course.
Suze Cumming is the founder of The Nature of Real Estate and Canada’s Real Estate Negotiation guru. Suze and her team have run over 5000 real estate professionals through negotiation designation courses since 2013 and have guided many top agents and teams to their success.
Her courses, the Accredited Real Estate Negotiator (AREN) and the Professional Real Estate Negotiator (PREN), are Canada’s newest and fastest-growing designation. These courses are offered live online in small interactive groups or in person for brokerages and boards.
Suze is passionate about two things. Helping REALTORS get massively successful results for their clients and for themselves. And Sailboat racing. When Suze isn’t on a stage or in a zoom room, you’ll find her racing her sailing yachts in various locations around the world.
For 40 years, Suze has been passionate about real estate and the lifestyle that it makes possible for each of us. She knows for sure that the only way to the top is to be remarkably good at what you do.
Thanks for including this article. Simple, quick read to help Realtors. This little model might help someone immediately.
Suze will you be offering another Negotiator workshop I am unable to attend the one coming up in September