Chapter 125: The Hidden Struggle

Since finding property listings is a task where many hands make light work, Zhang Wei decided to mobilize everyone in the branch to help him. He stood up and asked, "Does anyone here have any duplex two-bedroom listings for sale? I have a reliable client, and if there's a suitable property, they can purchase it immediately."

"What are your client's requirements? Let's hear them," Liu Ziqi said, looking up with wide eyes the moment Zhang Wei finished speaking.

"That's right, if there are any suitable listings, we'll keep an eye out for you," Han Xue added with a smile.

"I need a duplex two-bedroom unit on a high floor, priced around 3 million, preferably near our residential complex," Zhang Wei said, glancing at Han Xue and nodding with a smile.

Seeing the enthusiasm from the two members of Su Ning's team, a flicker of surprise crossed Zhang Wei's eyes. Ever since Xu Ming’s position as regional manager was confirmed, Su Ning had immediately vacated her office, and the agents in her group had begun proactively showing goodwill toward Zhang Wei and his colleagues.

After Zhang Wei described the property, the others all expressed their willingness to help him look for listings. For the first time, the Yayuan branch was filled with a sense of harmony, and Zhang Wei was naturally delighted to thank them all.

While Zhang Wei was busy rallying support to find a house, Wang Zhen was not idle. Yesterday, he had taken Li Yun to see three duplex properties, one of which—the unit at 1018—caught her interest. Since the owner was present at the time, they had engaged in some initial negotiations.

However, the owner was firm on a selling price of 3.2 million, while Li Yun was only willing to pay 3.1 million. The gap of nearly 100,000 was quite common in the real estate agency industry, and based on his years of experience, Wang Zhen knew this wasn't the bottom line for either party.

Wang Zhen’s plan was to have both sides make a concession, meeting in the middle at 3.15 million. He believed this amount would align with their respective bottom lines, and as long as he could mediate effectively, there was a good chance of closing the deal.

Wang Zhen placed great importance on this transaction. His uncle called every day to inquire about the progress, seemingly more anxious than Wang Zhen himself, and had repeatedly reminded him not to be too focused on immediate profits, suggesting he should offer Li Yun a discount on the agency commission.

Wang Zhen’s uncle was not only a major shareholder in the company but also his patron. Wang Zhen took his uncle’s words to heart, putting significant effort into this deal and maintaining constant contact with Li Yun.

"Hello, is this Ms. Li? It's Xiao Wang from Tiantian Company," Wang Zhen said, pulling out his phone to call her again.

"Hello, Xiao Wang," Li Yun replied coolly.

"Ms. Li, have you given any more thought to the 1018 unit I showed you yesterday?" Wang Zhen asked.

"If the owner sells for 3.1 million, I'll take it. If they still want 3.2 million, I'll wait," Li Yun said.

"Ms. Li, how about this? If you and the owner both take a step back and meet in the middle at 3.15 million, what do you think?" Wang Zhen proposed.

"If it's 3.15 million, I'd rather keep waiting. Another agency contacted me these past two days saying they have a nice duplex two-bedroom to show me. I want to see that one before I decide," Li Yun replied.

Hearing this, Wang Zhen couldn't help but frown. He knew it was unlikely for Li Yun to look at properties exclusively with him, but hearing that she was viewing houses with other agents still made him feel uneasy.

Knowing how much his uncle valued this matter, Wang Zhen was determined to ensure Li Yun signed the deal. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Ms. Li, how about this? If you buy the property for 3.15 million, I will waive half of my agency commission. That way, your total purchase cost won't increase."

In the mid-2000s, the agency fee for buying a home in Beijing was 3% of the purchase price. For a 3.15 million property, the fee would be over 90,000 yuan, usually paid by the buyer. By waiving half, Wang Zhen was effectively saving Li Yun over 40,000 yuan, making the purchase equivalent to paying 3.1 million.

The idea of halving the commission wasn't new; Wang Zhen had planned it all along. Reducing the fee would certainly win Li Yun’s favor and help his uncle curry favor with her superior.

"Oh, that wouldn't be right, would it? Wouldn't your agency lose out?" Li Yun said, though she was tempted.

She did like that duplex, and if not for Zhang Wei mentioning another quality property, she might have bought 1018 at 3.15 million anyway. Now that Wang Zhen had effectively lowered the cost by another 50,000 yuan, it had reached her target price.

"It's no problem. Your father is a colleague of my uncle's, so we're practically friends. Giving you a break on the commission is the least I can do. Just remember to invite me to the wedding feast when you and Mr. Li get married," Wang Zhen said with a hearty laugh.

"Xiao Wang, since you've offered to cut the commission in half, I won't be difficult. I'll discuss it with my family tonight. As long as they don't have any objections, I'll buy that duplex for 3.15 million as you suggested," Li Yun said after a moment of reflection.

Compared to Zhang Wei, Li Yun trusted Wang Zhen more because she knew his background. Although Zhang Wei claimed to have a good property, she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, and she knew real estate agents could be unreliable, so she didn't fully believe him.

Now that the price for unit 1018 on the 10th floor had reached their budget, she preferred to buy it rather than wait for a promise from Zhang Wei that might not materialize.

"Very well, Ms. Li. I'll give you a call tomorrow morning to finalize the signing time. How does that sound?" Wang Zhen asked.

"Fine, let's talk tomorrow," Li Yun said, and hung up.

"That takes care of what my uncle wanted," Wang Zhen said with a smile. Based on his interaction with the owner yesterday, he believed that if Li Yun was willing to budge, the owner would likely accept 3.15 million.

After hanging up, Wang Zhen called the owner. "Hello, is this Mr. Wang? It's Wang Zhen from Tiantian Company."

"Oh, I know. What is it?" came the voice of Wang Ziqiang.

"I talked to the client again this morning, and she agreed to increase her offer. Could you meet her halfway at 3.15 million?" Wang Zhen asked.

"No way. The house is 3.2 million. Not a penny less," Wang Ziqiang said firmly.

If this had happened earlier, Wang Ziqiang might have agreed to 3.15 million. But after Zhang Wei called him and promised a "reliable" client willing to pay 3.2 million, he had made up his mind not to sell for less.

Hearing Wang Ziqiang’s stubborn tone shocked Wang Zhen. The owner’s attitude had been quite flexible yesterday, even hinting at a price reduction. He hadn't expected such a reversal after only one day.

Wang Zhen tried his best to persuade him, but Wang Ziqiang was as stubborn as a mule, refusing to budge from 3.2 million. Unable to close the deal, Wang Zhen hung up in frustration.

Feeling agitated, he went outside to smoke a cigarette. Just then, his phone rang. He frowned at the caller ID but answered it quickly. "Hello, Uncle."

"It's me. How did the talks with Li Yun go?" a middle-aged man’s voice asked.

"The gap between Li Yun and the owner is 100,000. I offered to waive half the commission, which covers 45,000, but the owner still won't budge. There's still a gap of over 50,000," Wang Zhen sighed, explaining the situation.

"That's simple. Waive the other half of the commission, and that should cover it, right?" the middle-aged man said.

"Uncle, if I waive the rest of the commission, even if we sign the deal, we'll be working for free," Wang Zhen complained.

"Don't be so narrow-minded! It's just a few tens of thousands. If I can move up a rank, what's a little money like that?" the middle-aged man scolded.

"Besides, there are countless people lining up to bribe her father, the director, without finding a way in. Helping his daughter buy a house for free is the perfect opportunity to curry favor with him," the man added.

"Alright, I'll listen to you, Uncle. I'll waive the entire commission if I have to, just to get this deal signed," Wang Zhen said, taking a deep drag of his cigarette before tossing the butt on the ground, his mind made up.