Lennar Improves sales and Margins Following Strategic Real estate Negotiation Training Partnership with American Negotiation Institute
COLUMBUS, OHIO - April 1, 2025 - The American Negotiation Institute (ANI), led by renowned real estate negotiation expert Kwame Christian, Esq., M.A., announced the successful conclusion of a specialized training and consulting engagement with Lennar Corporation's Denver division. Lennar (NYSE: LEN), America's second-largest homebuilder with annual revenue exceeding $34 billion, initiated the partnership with an intensive in-person training event in Denver followed by targeted consulting services. The collaboration has delivered measurable improvements in deal flow and profit margins for the participating sales teams.
Strategic Partnership Delivers Superior Margins in Challenging Market
Lennar, which builds homes in 26 states across America with operations in 75 markets nationwide and a market capitalization of approximately $47 billion, initiated this strategic partnership to strengthen the negotiation capabilities of its New Home Consultants (NHCs) and Area Sales Managers (ASMs) during a period of extraordinary transition in residential real estate. The comprehensive training and consulting program was specifically designed to address the unique challenges faced by homebuilder sales teams – challenges distinctly different from those encountered by traditional real estate agents and brokers.
The multi-phase engagement equipped Lennar's sales professionals with specialized negotiation strategies tailored to new home construction sales in an environment where buyers expect increasing quality and value while builders face ongoing margin pressures. Lennar's exceptional positioning in the market – delivering over 23,700 homes in a single quarter with a backlog valued at $6.6 billion – made it essential to implement negotiation approaches that protect both customer relationships and financial targets.
"Working with Lennar, we recognized the unique pressure their sales teams face," said Kwame Christian, founder and CEO of the American Negotiation Institute. "Unlike traditional real estate transactions where agents represent existing homes, Lennar's consultants are selling homes that represent the company's reputation, quality standards, and bottom line. This creates a fundamentally different negotiation dynamic that requires specialized training."
Custom-Designed Training for Homebuilder Sales Professionals
According to Christian, homebuilder sales negotiations present distinct challenges not addressed by traditional real estate negotiation training: "Selling new construction requires an entirely different negotiation skill set than resale transactions. Homebuilder sales teams must balance the immediate need to close deals with the long-term customer relationship that extends through the construction process and beyond. Our training with Lennar focused on maintaining this delicate balance – protecting margins while building lasting trust."
Christian's program implemented his Compassionate Curiosity Framework, a methodology that combines assertiveness and empathy – skills especially relevant in today's evolving real estate market. "My LinkedIn Learning course on being likable and assertive has reached over 300,000 learners precisely because these seemingly contradictory skills are essential in high-stakes negotiations," said Christian. "For Lennar's sales teams, we customized this approach specifically for homebuilder scenarios, where relationships need to remain strong even as sales professionals hold firm on pricing and value."
The training program addressed several critical areas unique to new home sales:
Strategic Value Positioning - Techniques for clearly articulating the premium value of new construction versus resale properties, particularly important in the current market environment
Cross-Cultural Communication - Skills for effectively negotiating with today's diverse homebuyer population, recognizing how cultural backgrounds influence negotiation expectations and communication styles
Building Trust While Protecting Margins - Strategies for developing strong buyer relationships while maintaining firm pricing discipline, a particularly challenging balance in custom homebuilding
Navigating Post-NAR Settlement Dynamics - Practical approaches for selling in the new environment created by the National Association of REALTORS® settlement, which has fundamentally altered commission structures and buyer expectations
The Unique Challenge of Cross-Cultural Homebuilder Negotiations
The training specifically addressed the extraordinarily complex challenge of cross-cultural negotiations in the homebuilding context. "Purchasing a new construction home represents one of the largest financial and emotional investments most families will ever make," Christian explained. "When you layer in cultural differences in communication styles, expectations about negotiation itself, and varying concepts of what constitutes value, the potential for misunderstanding is enormous."
Christian emphasized that these challenges are particularly acute for homebuilders: "Unlike traditional real estate agents who complete a transaction and move on, homebuilder sales teams remain connected to the buyer throughout the construction process and beyond. This creates an ongoing relationship where trust is paramount, yet where builders must also maintain firm boundaries around pricing, customization, and timelines. It's an incredibly delicate balance."
The program provided Lennar's sales professionals with specific frameworks for identifying cultural negotiation preferences, adapting communication styles accordingly, and finding win-win solutions that protect margins while respecting diverse cultural perspectives. "The goal wasn't just to close more deals," Christian noted, "but to close the right deals in the right way – creating positive experiences for buyers while maximizing Lennar's financial outcomes."
The Challenge of Maintaining Value in New Construction Sales
One of the most difficult aspects of new construction sales is the temptation to offer inappropriate concessions during negotiations. "Homebuilders face unique pricing transparency challenges," Christian explained. "With traditional resale homes, each property is unique, making price comparisons difficult. But with new construction communities, buyers can easily compare pricing across similar models, putting tremendous pressure on sales teams to justify their value proposition."
Christian's training addressed this challenge head-on, equipping Lennar's sales professionals with specific language patterns, negotiation techniques, and value articulation strategies designed to maintain pricing integrity even in competitive situations. "The key is helping salespeople understand that giving unnecessary concessions actually harms the customer relationship rather than helping it," Christian said. "When buyers sense desperation, they lose confidence in the product itself. Maintaining appropriate pricing discipline actually builds trust by demonstrating confidence in your offering."
These specialized techniques were particularly important given Lennar's premium market positioning as a quality homebuilder. "Lennar has built a reputation for quality homes with comprehensive 'Everything's Included' packages," noted Christian. "Our training helped their sales teams effectively communicate this value proposition while resisting the pressure to erode margins through unnecessary concessions."
Innovative Training Methodology for Real-World Application
Rather than relying on theoretical concepts, the ANI program featured extensive role-playing exercises based on actual scenarios Lennar's sales consultants face daily. This practical approach ensured that participants could immediately apply their new skills in client interactions.
"Most real estate negotiation training programs are designed for traditional realtors and brokers in residential resale situations," Christian emphasized. "The homebuilder sales environment requires entirely different approaches. Buyers are committing to properties that don't yet exist, with completions months in the future, and often with significant customization options. These factors create psychological and practical challenges not present in traditional real estate transactions."
The customized program specifically addressed these unique elements, with particular attention to navigating the balance between sales team confidence and buyer comfort. Christian explained, "Homebuilder sales teams must project absolute confidence in their product while simultaneously addressing the natural anxieties buyers feel when purchasing something they can't yet see or touch. Our training equipped Lennar's teams with specific language patterns and psychological techniques to manage this balance effectively."
Building Competitive Advantage Through Negotiation Excellence
The training and consulting program has become a significant competitive advantage for Lennar in a crowded homebuilding market. By implementing ANI's methodologies, Lennar's consultants have gained the confidence to effectively communicate value while maintaining strong margins.
"In today's evolving real estate environment, negotiation excellence has become a primary differentiator among homebuilders," Christian stated. "Organizations like Lennar that invest in developing these specialized skills gain a significant competitive edge. They're able to achieve what many consider impossible – increasing both close rates and margins simultaneously."
This approach has proven particularly valuable in markets where homebuyers increasingly push for concessions. "We're seeing unprecedented pressure on margins across the industry," noted Christian. "The homebuilders who thrive will be those whose sales teams can confidently navigate these challenging conversations without unnecessarily sacrificing value."
About Lennar Corporation
Lennar Corporation, founded in 1954, is one of the nation's leading builders of quality homes for all generations. Ranked #119 on the Fortune 500 with total annual revenue exceeding $34 billion, Lennar builds affordable, move-up and active adult homes primarily under the Lennar brand name. The company operates in 26 states across 75 markets nationwide, delivering tens of thousands of homes annually with a reputation for quality and innovation. In their most recent quarter, Lennar reported net earnings of $1.1 billion with a backlog of 11,633 homes valued at billions of dollars. Lennar's Financial Services segment provides mortgage financing, title insurance, and closing services for both buyers of Lennar's homes and others. Lennar's Multifamily segment is a nationwide developer of high-quality multifamily rental properties. For more information about Lennar, please visit www.lennar.com.
About the American Negotiation Institute
The American Negotiation Institute (ANI) is the world's leading negotiation and conflict resolution training organization, founded in 2016 in response to a societal need for effective communication. Through its groundbreaking content including the #1 negotiation podcast "Negotiate Anything" with over 13 million downloads and 48 LinkedIn Learning courses reaching 2.38+ million professionals worldwide, ANI has trained more negotiators than any other organization in history. Founded by Kwame Christian, Esq., M.A., a foremost expert on negotiation and conflict resolution, ANI serves clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to government agencies with its revolutionary Compassionate Curiosity Framework.
This powerful methodology, designed to be simple without being simplistic, puts practicality over theory while remaining firmly grounded in science, allowing people to flow organically and authentically through difficult conversations. As Leonardo da Vinci said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." ANI goes beyond traditional negotiation training to make difficult conversations easier through a unique approach that delivers practical, actionable skills in an entertaining and engaging format. Kwame's TEDx talk "Finding Confidence in Conflict," which debuted this framework, has garnered over 600,000 views and was the most popular TEDx Talk on conflict in 2017. ANI is redefining how negotiation and conflict resolution are taught in the digital age through its innovative professional development programs and bestselling books.
About Kwame Christian, Esq., M.A.
Kwame Christian is America's leading real estate negotiation expert and bestselling author, with a multidisciplinary background spanning law, psychology, and conflict resolution. As the founder and CEO of the American Negotiation Institute, he has transformed how real estate negotiation skills are taught globally, reaching millions through innovative digital platforms and strategic consulting services.
Christian's LinkedIn Learning course on being likable and assertive has reached over 300,000 learners worldwide, making it one of the platform's most popular negotiation courses. This course, which teaches professionals how to balance relationship-building with firm boundary-setting, has been particularly impactful for real estate professionals who must maintain positive client relationships while protecting their financial interests.
Christian serves as an Adjunct Professor at The Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law, which boasts the #1 ranked dispute resolution program in the United States, and has previously taught at the MBA level at Otterbein University. His legal expertise is further demonstrated through his role as Of Counsel at Carlile Patchen & Murphy, an award-winning law firm.
His academic excellence has been recognized through three major alumni awards from Ohio State University before age 35—making him the only person in university history to win back-to-back awards from both the law school and public affairs program. As a media personality, Christian hosts the #1 negotiation podcast worldwide, "Negotiate Anything," which has surpassed 13 million downloads across 180+ countries and is featured on the LinkedIn Podcast Network.
Christian's revolutionary Compassionate Curiosity Framework has transformed how real estate negotiation and conflict resolution are taught and practiced, emphasizing practical application while maintaining scientific validity. This approach has been adopted by Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and millions of professionals worldwide, cementing his position as one of the most influential voices in modern negotiation.
Contact Information
Ashley Wilson | Head of Communications
awilson@americannegotiationinstitute.com
www.negotiateanything.com
