What do you do when the sellers will not budge on a credit the buyer needs?
Find the money somewhere else. My buyer needed a $7,500 credit on a Bankers Hill condo whose AC system was more than 20 years old, and the sellers would not move. The listing agents and I each gave up $3,750 of commission to cover it, and he closed in August 2025. I'm Jared Harman, his agent.
Published . Last updated . Figures are from my own records unless a source is linked.
How did he end up working with me?
We met at one of my first open houses. He ended up buying his first home with a different agent.
I stayed in touch anyway. Texts, voice memos, and every so often an invite to grab coffee and catch up. I'm not a big caller. I think I called him once or twice in all that time.
When he was ready to buy again, he called me.
Why stay in touch with someone who already has an agent?
Because helping people doesn't depend on whether they're my client. I can still be useful to someone who works with another agent.
And if their buying experience isn't what they hoped, they remember who kept showing up. That's what happened here. Also, he's a cool guy, and I like talking to cool people.
What made the sellers hard to work with?
First, the listing agents were phenomenal. Great communicators, on top of everything. The sellers were the hard part. They were stubborn, and that was clear early.
Credits were a fight from the offer stage. A big part of my job was helping them see why credits matter to a buyer: they leave the buyer enough cash after closing for the purchase to actually make sense.
When did the deal almost fall apart?
At inspection. The AC system was more than 20 years old and at the end of its life.
My buyer needed a $7,500 credit to feel comfortable moving forward. The sellers would not budge.
How did the deal get saved?
The listing agents pitched it. Each side's agents would cut their commission by $3,750 and the $7,500 would go to my buyer as a credit. I said yes, and we moved forward.
Stubborn sellers. But agents on both sides with the right head and heart, willing to get the deal done.
What did he do with the condo?
The carpet had to go. The kitchen and the bathroom both needed redoing too.
He did the carpet and the kitchen right away. I went back to see it. Night and day.
What happened a year after closing?
In September 2026, about a year after he closed, he called me. The air conditioner was giving him trouble, and he needed help with his home warranty.
He had already paid a third-party company to get it fixed faster. I went straight to my contact at his home warranty company, and they reimbursed a good portion of that invoice. That would not have been on the table otherwise.
What should I ask for on a condo with old systems?
Price the old systems into your offer, and ask for the credit you actually need. If the answer is no, that isn't always the end of it.
Condos are where the negotiating room shows up most often right now. More on that in my condo or house answer.
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Who is Jared Harman?
Jared Harman is a real estate agent and REALTOR® in San Diego, California, licensed under DRE 02193879 with MatchPoint at eXp Realty of California, Inc. He is based in North Park and represents buyers and sellers in Bankers Hill and across the central San Diego neighborhoods. He personally toured more than 800 homes in 2025.