My friend said he's going to buy a second-hand house today and plans to negotiate the price, feeling a bit nervous.

The seller listed it at 1.28 million, and the agent said the seller currently wants 1.18 million; he wants to get it for 1.05 million.
I told him: Here's a trick—find a dozen friends to take turns negotiating with the seller, each offering 800,000 to 900,000. After all these negotiations, you come in with an offer of 1 million.
If the seller doesn't agree, gradually increase your offer by 10,000 each time. Finally, tell the seller you'll buy at 1.05 million; if they don't accept, you'll walk away. At this point, it’s basically yours.
In today’s market, negotiating 200,000 off a 1.28 million house isn’t a big deal.
My house was listed at 2.2 million, and through this approach, I finally bought it for 1.75 million.