Owners often focus on the headline price, but the structure of a deal can matter just as much. Negotiating leverage is about improving terms, not only the number on the first page: how much is paid at closing, what is contingent, how long you stay involved, and what protections each side gets.
Two offers with the same headline price can be worth very different amounts once you account for structure and risk. A disciplined, well-prepared process gives you the leverage to improve those terms instead of accepting whatever the buyer proposes.
That leverage is built before you ever go to market, which is the entire point of preparing in advance.