You've
cleaned and prepared your home for the market. The
sign and lockbox are in place. The marketing has
begun. It's show time!
Think of your home as a giant display window. You want
it to appear appealing and inviting. You want
potential buyers to feel like welcomed guest...not
like intruders. It's not easy living in the giant
fishbowl you have created...but the payoff will be
worthwhile.
Showing Appointments:
Most listings are shown as "CALL AND GO" this
means...the agent will call and try to make an
appointment to show, if the seller is not at home, it
is then ok to go ahead and show it. Because of this,
it is important to have some type of answering service
or answering machine to take those showing
messages....if not...some busy agents might just pass
by your home. It is also important to check your
messages as soon as you arrive home, there is nothing
more embarrassing than to be right in the middle of
that long awaited bath after a long day's work, and
buyers arrive to look at your home.
Unscheduled Appointments:
Most agents will call to let you know when your home
is going to be shown. Although this may not always be
possible, normally, you will have a little advance
notice of showings. Occasionally, agents may not have
added your home to their show list and a buyer may
request to see it. Please try to be accommodating
whenever possible. If you need a few minutes to make
a quick pass-through and tidy up, ask the agent to
give you 15 minutes or so. Remember, you may not get
a second chance to show your home.
Lockboxes:
It is important that your home have a lockbox for
easy access. Most lockboxes are programmed so that
they are not accessible after certain times or, before
certain times.
Pets:
Make
sure pets are in a safe place when your home is being
shown. If you have pets inside while you are at work,
make sure they are in utility rooms or garages because
some people may be allergic or afraid of pets. Your
gentle and loving pet may be very protective when you
are not at home.
No Shows:
This is one of the biggest complaints of home
sellers. Agents call to schedule an appointment to
show your home. You rush around to get things ready
and leave. When you return, you can tell no one has
been through. As much of an inconvenience as this may
be, please try to be understanding. Sometimes, the
buyer may change his mind about style and price range
after all the properties have been lined up for
showing. The agent is then rushing around trying to
line up new properties and may not be able to contact
each seller to cancel their appointment. Other times,
the buyer may have already seen your home with another
agent, or may decide they are not interested just for
the exterior, or the neighborhood, may not be what
they are looking for. Many times, the buyers may find
their "dream home" before they get to your home. No
one likes "no shows", but everyone has them.
Last Minute Showing Preparations:
You've received the call....your home is about to be
shown. Now what? Go through and make sure all blinds
and curtains are open. Make sure toilets are flushed
and lids closed. Empty smelly trash cans. Pick up
those last minute items. Put up the pets or take them
with you if possible. Make the kitchen sink is
clean. Turn on the lights in the basement and
garage. Turn on lamps for extra ambiance. A well lit
home is always inviting. It adds an extra welcome, to
turn on the outside entrance lights...even during
daylight hours. Soft music is also a nice touch. Just
make sure to keep it "soft".
Property Brochures:
Make
sure your Property Brochures are in plain view.
Always let me know when you are down to 3 or less.
This also applies to your outside brochure boxes.
When your home is listed, you will be given a supply
of brochures for the brochure box. Please let me knew
when you start to run low of these.
When Your Home Is Shown:
It is
always best if you can leave whenever your home is
shown. If you must be home, please take a walk, or
make yourself scarce. The showing agents
usually knows their buyers' requirements and knows
what should be pointed out to them.
Showing Feedback:
Either call and leave a voice message or, preferably
send me an email with the showing agent's, name,
address, phone numbers and email address. This way I
can keep a log of all showings. If someone shows your
home more than once to the same buyer, we will try to
contact them for "feedback".
It
takes a lot of work to sell a home...but working
together...we can make it happen. |
