In this episode of The Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast, I'm joined by our newest team member and longtime friend of the community—Derek Dombeck.

Derek has completed thousands of creative real estate deals, built multiple successful businesses, and is now stepping into a coaching and mentorship role here at Smart Real Estate Coach. In this episode, we unpack Derek's negotiation training, explore how he's helping our associates refine their people skills, and dive into the art of controlling the conversation, overcoming objections, and closing more deals.

Derek also shares recent transactions he's working on, including a divorce scenario turned win-win lease purchase, and a seller-financed duplex bought with private money, showing exactly how creativity and strong communication turn challenges into profits.

Whether you're a new investor learning the ropes or a seasoned dealmaker looking to sharpen your edge, this episode will level up the way you negotiate, close, and grow.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

02:45 Recap of Derek's live negotiation training at QLS Live Boston

03:24 Why most investors learn strategies but never master communication

05:02 Personality profiling: identifying who you're talking to in the first few minutes

06:12 The driver vs. analytical personality and how to adjust your communication style

07:33 Frame control: leading conversations even from a "beta" position

09:10 Storytelling as a negotiation tool: overcoming objections before they appear

10:26 The four pillars of powerful negotiation: personality, control, storytelling, and closing

11:50 Introducing the "No Means Not Now" negotiation course

13:19 Derek's first impressions as a coach inside the Wicked Smart community

17:19 Derek's recent deal: divorce property turned lease purchase success

20:56 Second deal: seller-financed duplex using private capital with equity share

21:51 Negotiating with private lenders and structuring long-term terms

23:47 Take action: Get in the room, learn, and do deals together

Quotables

"People spend a lot of time learning strategies, but almost no time learning how to actually talk to people."

"Negotiations are nothing more than social interactions—and you can learn to control every one of them."

"If you can control the frame, you can control the outcome."

Links

No Means Not Now Negotiation Course

https://smartrealestatecoach.com/NoMeansNotNow

QLS 4.0 - Use coupon code for 50% off

https://smartrealestatecoach.com/qls

Coupon code: pod

Apprentice Program

https://3paydaysapprentice.com

Coupon code: Podcast

Masterclass

https://smartrealestatecoach.com/masterspodcast

Wicked Smart Books

https://wickedsmartbooks.com/podcast

Strategy Session

https://smartrealestatecoach.com/actionpodcast

Partners

https://smartrealestatecoach.com/podcastresources