[ksaj]

I think this is indeed the case. They have a long list of recruit candidates to get through. The ones that are going to be the easiest and make the recruiter the most money are the ones that will get in first.

You can naggle, but remember they already know how much they can/can't make on the gig. You aren't naggling with the company you might be working for - you are asking for a bigger slice of the recruiter's take. If they know you are worth it, of course you'll get it. If not, that list they need to get through is pretty long.

It's like buying a used car from a lot. They know how much they will make from the sale. When you naggle with them, they are opting to give you some of their take in order to get that car off the lot. Find the sweet point if you can, but the busier the salesperson is, the less patient they'll be with negotiating, since there will be another buyer right behind you that won't ask for a piece of their cake.

Of course on the other hand, if the car has already been on the lot for too long, they will want to negotiate an enticement.