Tips for Showing Your Home
Showing your home once it has been listed can be a challenge. These 5 seller tips for showing your home may help take some of the frustration out of the process.
- Use the agent standard lockbox (Supra in St Louis) that tracks showings.The only people who have access to these boxes are agents/vendors (building inspectors etc) whose information is on file. Any time the box is opened the agent will get a notification that the property has been shown and by whom.
- If you have showing restrictions, make sure they are spelled out in the MLS. For example, if you have an elderly parent or a baby, ask your agent to post this in the agent remarks section in the MLS. An example would be: One year old twins live here. Mother would prefer to be notified the day before but if this is not possible, please call the agent’s direct line. The owner will try to work it out because she really wants you to see her home.
- Allow a sizable window for the appointment for showing your home. A 2 hour window is definitely an inconvenience to a home owner but it can remove a lot of stress from the buyer and possibly result in the sale of your home. For example, when a buyer sees a home they like and it is number 3 out of 5 or 6, most buyers are considerate and don’t want to inconvenience the remaining homeowners by arriving late. But a house that is a potential for them needs a longer visit.
- Crate or remove pets. It can thwart a chase through the neighborhood with agent and potential buyer trying to catch an escaped cat. Or a dog barking/growling as you’re fumbling with the key scaring the living daylights out of everyone while they are picturing a pit bull on the other side.
- Make sure the front door is painted, the door lock opens easily and there is no sign of deferred maintenance. The buyers are generally scoping the home as an agent is working with a hard to open door which has not been painted for the last 10 years. The buyers’ comment “I hope this isn’t an indication of what we are going to find inside.”
Showing your home is a balancing act for sure but the goal is to show the home and make a sale.
