The Stresses of Allowing Agents and Buyers Into Your Home!
After twenty two years of selling homes you’d think that I’d seen it all. Maybe? Close? I don’t know. I am still amazed at what happens.
In spite of the fact that as both a buyer’s agent and listing agent I endeavor to impart clear expectations to buyers, buyer’s agents and home owners; sometimes I’m just plain surprised by what happens or doesn’t happen when a property is shown. So, I’ll attempt to impart some wisdom here in this forum.
To home buyers here are some common sense do’s when viewing another person’s home. Keep your children under control if they’re looking at homes with you. It is not acceptable for young children to flop on furniture, this includes beds. Please prevent your children from opening cupboards, refrigerators, playing with toys, hiding in closets and under beds or turning on electronic devises. This would also include “disco lighting” he house by rapidly turning off and on lights. It is also very bad form to allow anyone in your party to bring food, drinks and snacks into a property being viewed. This would include you. Please leave pets alone too, many pets bite or scratch when faced with strangers. Finally, don’t use the bathroom; I know that this is a tough one given the excitement of viewing homes but it is just bad manners to use the loo without permission.
Agents working with buyers and showing them homes should be in tune to what their clients are doing and should know their stuff. Get your chin up out of the MLS data or off your tablet and use memory and top of mind techniques to tell the buyer about the property. Start your showings by removing your shoes, if you model this behavior your buyers will follow suit. Make sure all doors are locked when you’re finished showing and LEAVE THE HOME EXACTLY AS YOU FOUND IT. If lights were on, leave them on, if off then turn them back off. Educate your clients about acceptable behaviors and be aware that many owners use recording devices to review what’s happening in their home whilst they’re away. Finally a good buyer’s agent should provide brief and impersonal feedback after showings. I find that a simple statement telling whether the buyer is interested or not will suffice. Good listing agents really don’t want to read nitpicky personally motivated mess about what you think and especially what you can’t qualify with data.
Home sellers should ensure that valuables are tucked away and out of site. Horizontal surfaces, closets and cupboards should be clutter free and the home in general should be well organized. Even the brightest of homes should burn lights like a commercial for Duke Energy. Heating and air conditioning should be set at comfortable levels and the water should be on, just in case someone uses the loo, even though they shouldn’t. Owners should also freely share any transgressions as outlined previously in this post along with anything else that’s amiss with their listing agent.
Yes, I’ve seen a lot; buyers attempting to change a diaper on a dining room table, children hiding under beds, home owners hiding under beds and in closets, folks showing up to view a home with an open cup of coffee and lots of muddy shoes. I’ve been bitten by a cat, chased by a Doberman pincer, terrified by a snake inside a home on a stair step and walked in on folks behaving intimately even though I had a confirmed appointment. Some good common sense can make the home buying and selling experience a happy one. Interested in buying or selling a home? Call or email me.