The “won’t you” was the tie-down at the end of the sen-
tence, and the “yes” was a minor close. Here are some of
the terms used for tie-downs:
Aren’t they? Don’t we? Won’t you?
Aren’t you? Shouldn’t we? Isn’t it?
Can’t you? Wouldn’t it? Isn’t that right?
Doesn’t it? Don’t you agree? Didn’t it?
Couldn’t it? Hasn’t he? Haven’t they?
Wasn’t it? Hasn’t she? Won’t they?
Using the same terms, tie-downs can also be in the be-
ginning of sentences. For example:
Agent:“Won’t itlook nice once you have all of your fur-
niture in place?”
Seller:“Yes.”Another way to use tie-downs is to place them in the
middle of the sentence. Here’s an example:
Agent:“With all of the marketing we do for you, won’t
you agreethat you’ll increase your odds of selling?”
Seller:“Yes.”There are many ways to phrase tie-downs. The bottom
line is that they must be questions for which the only an-
swer can be a “yes” or one of its many derivatives. Depend-
ing on the conversation, pick which type of tie-down and
what placement will work best. Practice using tie-downs so
The Real Estate Agent’s Guide to FSBOs