Checklist for Showing Your Home to Buyers
When a REALTOR wants to show your home to a client, she will contact the Centralized Showing Service. They will, in turn, contact you to confirm the day and time. If the requested appointment is not a good time for you, offer an alternate time that is…but keep it as close to the requested time as possible.
Keep in mind that showing appointments are unpredictable. Most agents will set a window to show your home between, for example, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. This means you should be out of the home by 12:55 and don’t return until 2:45. Due to the day’s showing schedule, the REALTOR and clients may not arrive at the home until 2:15 p.m.—which is why an appointment “window” is set.
Unfortunately, sometimes the REALTOR will have to cancel the appointment at the last minute…or sometimes they don’t show up at all. Remember that this is may be because the clients (potential Buyers) have either changed their mind or already decided on another home.
About 15 to 30 minutes before you need to leave your home for a showing appointment, do the following:
| 1. | Make sure the temperature of the house is comfortable: cool in summer and warm in winter. | |
| 2. | Many people are allergic to certain scents and deodorizers, so don’t spray the air or plug-in air fresheners. | |
| 3. | Open all the window coverings to let in light. | |
| 4. | For windows that show undesirable outdoor scenery, such as a dilapidated fence or a nearby structure that obstructs views, keep blinds partially closed. | |
| 5. | Turn on every light in the house, including closet lights. | |
| 6. | Put animals in crates in a safe, but out-of-the-way place such as a laundry room or garage. Some people are afraid of dogs and/or cats. Cover animal cages if possible…especially reptiles, snakes, and rodents. | |
| 7. | Turn off TV. | |
| 8. | If the house is wired for sound, leave classical music playing but very softly. | |
| 9. | Make sure you leave house brochures on the dining room table or another place pre-determined by your REALTOR. | |
| 10. | Leave the house. Don’t set the alarm unless you have left instructions with your REALTOR or the Centralized Showing Service.
NOTE: If you bump into the REALTOR and Buyer on the way out, be friendly and cordial, but do not stay. |
After an appointment, I will follow-up with the showing agent to obtain feedback for you. This may take a few days, so please be patient. Generally I send weekly reports to keep you up-to-date.
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