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🛡️ Objection Handling (cross-strategy)

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① TL;DR

Every objection has a Richard-tested rebuttal. Pull this up mid-call — find the matching objection, read the rebuttal, keep moving.

② When to use

  • Agent or seller pushes back during pitch or follow-up
  • Use as a fast lookup, not a script to recite verbatim

③ How to run this play (step-by-step)

  1. Identify which objection you're getting
    Listen for the exact phrasing. Map it to one of the 7 below. If it doesn't fit, ask: 'Can you tell me a bit more about that?'
  2. Pause before responding
    Don't rush the rebuttal. A 2-second pause signals you're considering it, not reading a script.
  3. Tap the matching objection card → copy the rebuttal
    The cards below have Richard's actual rebuttals. Read calmly, in your own voice.
  4. End the rebuttal with a question
    Don't lecture. After delivering the rebuttal, ask: 'Does that make sense?' or 'Would it be worth a 10-minute conversation with your seller about this?'
  5. If they're still firm — concede gracefully
    Don't burn the bridge. 'I get it — appreciate your time. If anything changes, you've got my number.' Many of these come back in 30-60 days.

⑤ The live call (when they pick up)

"I hear you on the rate. But here's the thing — if you look at the all-in number on an offer of $[asking + premium], the effective rate when you account for the premium over asking is more like 8 or 9%. The 0% on the note is just how we structure it — the premium pays the interest. So in a typical mortgage at today's rates, on a [asking] property, you'd be making interest on [asking] at 7%. With our structure, you're making interest on [asking + 10%] at an effective 8-9%. You come out ahead. Want me to break down the math?"
🎧 Full call example (5:55)

Source: Negotiations - Disliking 2% Interest Rate (Richard's actual call)

⑦ Top objections for this play

"Seller wants cash only"
"I totally understand — and that's exactly what a lot of sellers say when they haven't been walked through the math yet. The question is: what's more important to them — how they get paid, or what they get paid? Because with this structure, they get [asking + 10%] plus a multi-five or multi-six-figure down payment up front to use toward their next property. That's more than any cash buyer is going to offer right now. Would it be worth a 10-minute conversation so they can hear the full picture and make an informed decision?"
"We have other offers"
"That's great to hear — I hope one of them works out for your seller. Out of curiosity, are they conventional? Because I'd love to know how they're clearing DSCR at 7.25% on this one. If they're house-hackers, that changes things — but if they're investors, they're going to hit the same wall. Our offer is [price + 10%] — above asking. The structure's different, but the number isn't."
"Can you get a lower rate?"
"I wish — rates are what they are. The math just doesn't work at 7.25% for this property at this price, even with a rate buydown. That's why the structure has to change, not the rate."
"The interest rate is too low" / "2% is ridiculous"
"I hear you on the rate. But here's the thing — if you look at the all-in number on an offer of $[asking + premium], the effective rate when you account for the premium over asking is more like 8 or 9%. The 0% on the note is just how we structure it — the premium pays the interest. So in a typical mortgage at today's rates, on a [asking] property, you'd be making interest on [asking] at 7%. With our structure, you're making interest on [asking + 10%] at an effective 8-9%. You come out ahead. Want me to break down the math?"
"What if you stop paying and walk away?"
"You're right to ask about that — the quitclaim deed is actually structured to protect YOU, not me. If we miss payments, the property reverts back to your client. Meanwhile, they've kept the down payment and every monthly payment we've made up to that point. We're not walking away — we have skin in the game. The down payment is real money. The monthly payments come from the tenants we place. This isn't a 'buy nothing down and disappear' scheme — your client keeps the property as collateral, and we're underwriting carefully because if we lose the property, we lose our down payment too."
"IRS requires interest — 0% isn't legal"
"That's a common misconception — and it's worth clearing up, because I've heard it before. The IRS has an Applicable Federal Rate — a minimum imputed rate — but that only triggers for loans over a certain threshold and it's currently under 5%. More importantly, it's the seller's accountant's job to handle imputed interest on their return if it applies. It doesn't make the deal illegal or the contract void. Happy to have our title company or a real estate attorney walk through it with them if that helps."
"I'm too busy to look at it right now"
"I get it — totally. Tell you what: I'll re-forward you the terms at the top of the email and include the contract on top of that. Look at it whenever you have a minute. No rush. I'm not driving by properties, my company sends out about a thousand texts per day — I'm having conversations like this back to back. So you don't need to feel rushed. But the property's been on market [DOM] days, so if it stays there another couple weeks, I'd love to revisit. Sound fair?"

⑨ Sources (go deeper)