So here's what that looks like in terms of a decision tree.
They now can take your offer, your counter offer which is a sure thing for
them, or they can decline your counter offer.
It might mean if they continue to negotiate, they'll buy the house for
less than you want.
But it might also mean that you'll sell the house to somebody else and
they won't end up with the house.
So that's uncertainty for them.
And remember, when people are uncertain they tend to try and protect gains.
And a sure thing often looks like a gain that people want to protect and
that can make them very risk averse.
So why does this work?
It works because turning the tables sometimes means that the most valuable
resource is being done, having a deal.
And that's the sure thing you are offering them.
Particularly, if you can frame your offer to them as a gain.
For example, less than you initially asked.
For example, in this case, if your counter offer was 375,
if you had said, look, I don't think I can go with 350 but I can guarantee
you now that I will sell you the house today if you're willing to pay 375.
Well, that looks like a gain to them because it's less than you were
originally asking.
And that may be a gain that they would like to protect,
especially if they have poor options compared to what you are offering them.
So if they don't have any other houses they're considering and
they're really desperate to get this house, they may want to protect that gain
and protect the very valuable resource of being done by taking your offer.
So, the reason turning the tables works is because it turns the decision dilemma
on them and faces them with the choice
of protecting the sure gain of taking what you have offered them,
versus the uncertainty of not knowing if they're going to get a deal.