Communication and Negotiation

Question 1

What do you consider to be an example of good communication?

Answer 1

Polite, calm, important to listen, effective, tailored to audience, situation, subject

Question 2

How do you ensure that the frequency of communication is acceptable?

Answer 2

Set progress milestones; use appropriate tone and style of communication, respect other person’s time and availability

Question 3

What are the different ways you can communicate with clients?

Answer 3

Oral (meetings, calls), electronic (messages, web conferences), written (emails, letters, reports), graphic (charts, graphs)

Question 4

When would you choose to use written communication over verbal communication or a face to face meeting?

Answer 4

Depending on client’s request, timeframe, sensitivity, confidentiality, subject of dicussion

Question 5

What barriers to effective communication have you come across?

Answer 5

Language barriers, silence, jargons, emotional disinterest, bias and interruptions

Question 6

Tell me about your negotiating style.

Answer 6

Collaborating.
Be prepared and collate evidence, calm manner, listen carefully, ask questions, take notes, anticipate compromise and try to reach common ground for the benefit of the project

Question 7

Why is negotiation important?

Answer 7

Resolve conflicts, achieve goals for the benefit of the project, improve decision making and creative thinking

Question 8

What is principled negotiation?

Answer 8

Drawing on principles and objective criteria to settle differences rather than making opinion-based arguments. Separate people from problem, focus on interests, invent options for mutual gain, insist on using objective criteria.

Question 9

What can be a barrier to negotiating effectively?

Answer 9

Language barriers, misunderstanding of the subject of negotiations, missing information, not listening, not paying attention

Question 10

What would be a good way to facilitate negotiations in your role?

Answer 10

Be prepared, listen, take notes, be ready to compromise, benefit for the project, once agreed put in writing

Question 11

Why do you consider that discussing matters in person might be effective?

Answer 11

Creates a personal connection, which can build trust, immediate feedback, clarify misunderstandings, opportunities for free flowing discussions

Question 12

What are the alternatives to this?

Answer 12

Email, phone calls, video conferencing, instant messages

Question 13

Why can these alternatives present challenges?

Answer 13

Lack of context, misinterpretation, misunderstanding, lack of feedback

Question 14

Tell me about how you communicate effectively (and responsibly) using social media.

Answer 14

Professional language, keep my professional account separate from personal, reference the source of information shared ensuring it is reliable.

Question 15

What do RICS set out as best practice for the use of social media?

Answer 15

Be aware of professional responsibilities and maintain professional standards, respect confidentiality, personal and professional account separate, mindful of copyright and intellectual property, use social media to build professional network and share insights

Question 16

What RICS guidance is this best practice set out within?

Answer 16

Rules of Conduct. This document outlines the ethical and professional standards that RICS members must adhere to in their work, including their use of social media.

Question 17

How do you use visual media to communicate with clients, e.g. before & after photographs?

Answer 17

Power Point presentations, graphs, charts

Question 18

Tell me about how you conduct yourself in negotiations.

Answer 18

Efficient communication, reduce misunderstanding, anticipate compromise, be considerate

Question 19

Tell me about how you ensure good communication.

Answer 19

Polite and calm, important to listen, effective, consider the audience, non verbal communication is as important

Question 20

Tell me about an example of when you have negotiated effectively.

Answer 20

Negotiated the fee on the project. Client wanted to bring down the fee by 50%, I suggested that we could decrease the fee by 25%, however we would extend the valuation timeline and provide a short form of the report. Client agreed

Question 21

Tell me about an example of when you have communicated effectively.

Answer 21

I have been part of the project where my role included liaising with several point of contacts in order to obtain necessary information and schedule inspections. I acted professionally and followed up regularly. The main client requested to provide weekly meetings , for which I prepared presentations on the project status

Question 22

Give me an example of when you have communicated using a complex written report.

Answer 22

I have prepared a valuation report of a portfolio of assets consisting of office building and vacant land plot in Abu Dhabi. In the report I provided executive summary, applicable clauses, valuation assumptions and rationale and reported values with supporting appendices

Question 23

Abu Dhabi – how did you communicate with the client during the due diligence stage?

Answer 23

Established preferred method of communication channel;
Set timelines, listened actively, provided regular updates and responded promptly

Question 24

How did you communicate with your client over the valuation rationale?

Answer 24

I prepared an overview of the subject property, summarised factual data gathered from information provided, and my assumptions and inputs based on the evidence

Question 25

How did you deal with any client queries?

Answer 25

I ask to prepare the queries and send to me for review. I go through all questions carefully and prepare my answers in writing. If client wishes to discuss further, I suggest scheduling a call.