Showings= Offers, No showings= No offers.
I write this post because I tried to set up showing for 2 sets of buyers this weekend.
Buyer #1 chose five properties, out of the five, I was only able to schedule two showings.
Buyer #2 chose five properties and I was able to schedule only three showings.
I was requesting showings for a Saturday late morning – mid afternoon. I wasn’t scheduling at times that were outside normal showing hours….. Saturday prime time for buyers!!
So what were the issues that hindered the showings:
- Two of the showings I did not hear from the agents after repeated phone calls in a 36 hour period.
- Two of the showings were accompanied showings and the agents made it painfully aware it was inconvenient for them to show the properties.
- One of the showings was inconvenient to the seller.
I’ll let you in on a little secret….
I have been in this business for many years and have closed on hundreds of properties and have worked with many buyers.
One thing I can tell a seller, is, if a showing is missed due to an agent or homeowner, many times the buyer bypasses that listing and never looks at the property.
Strike while the buyer is excited about your home, a buyers decision to buy is usually based on emotion.
Seller’s should understand that when we are working with buyer’s there are limitations to the buyers schedule as well as we are usually not out looking at one home and there is a time schedule we are trying to meet.
A real life situation here….. Buyer is driving up from New York to look at homes on a Saturday. They have chosen 8 homes to view. We schedule the 8 homes in a 3 hour window in the early afternoon on a Saturday.
I try to schedule in a logical order and schedule your home for 1pm. You reject the showing and the say 6:30 would be better… Guess what? My client is already most of the way home, they are not going to wait around for one showing.
It only takes one good showing to sell your home.
So as a successful listing agent how do I address the showing issues spelled out above….
Agents not returning other agents calls.
I use a scheduling service. My service takes calls from 8:30am to 8pm Monday thru Friday and until 6 on weekends and holidays. This is all that they do, schedule showings.
The minute an agent calls requesting a showing, you immediately get an email notifying you if there has been a showing request for your property. Let’s face it do you think your agent notifies you that they blew a showing because they did not get back in a timely manner?
After they receive the call and the email is sent as well as a text, they follow whatever procedure is set in place to confirm the showing.
You the seller had a full accounting of what is happening in an online account. If a showing is not confirmed it is not because of me, your listing agent.
Accompanied Showings
An accompanied showing is where the listing agent meets the buyer’s agent and buyer to let them into the home.
I personally feel that accompanied showings can be a hindrance when selling your home. The only time I recommend accompanied showings, is if you have a unique home.
Out of hundreds of homes sold, I have only recommended accompanied showing twice and they were very expensive historic homes that required a huge explanation.
There is an agent in my area, who every time I have to show one of their listings I cringe, because they are never available to let me and my buyers into the home.
First, I have noticed over the years, that buyers are uncomfortable when you introduce a new person to the mix and hurry through the home when they feel the listing agent is hovering and trying to sell them the home. On the whole accompanied showings are much quicker than showings that are just with a buyers agent and the buyer.
The longer the buyer stays in the home the more willing they are to take ownership of that home.
Secondly, when showings must be accompanied by the listing agent, you now have to add a fourth persons schedule into the mix. I personally provide a lock box so any licensed agent that has confirmed a showing has access to the property, irregardless of my schedule.
Home Sellers Not Providing Easy Access.
Once your home is on the market, the best policy is to allow all the showings to occur. Many of my sellers rarely deny a showing as they understand the importance of giving the buyers access to their home. But let’s face it, sometimes there are things that make every showing difficult. Babies sleeping schedules, work schedules and so on…..
If there are consistent things in your life that will prevent showing on certain days or certain times of the day, work with your agent. If you can put in the MLS under showing instructions, times your home is not available, showing agents can work their buyers schedule around yours. If you have a difficult showing schedule make sure you allow a variety of times. Allow some showings in the evenings, allow some during the day and allow some during the weekend.
I will wrap up this post with one last story:
I just finished up with a buyer about a month ago. I had listed their home and put it under agreement immediately. They had forty five days to find a new home. We went out diligently one or two times a week to find them a new one. There was one home the seemed to like in particular that we tried to schedule three times a showing, our request was denied three times. As much as the buyers seemed to like this house we never got into view the home. We viewed 21 homes out of which they purchased one.
We did find another one that was very similar in the same neighborhood!! The home we never saw is still on the market and the agent just called me seeing if my buyers were still interested. Too late my buyers bought another.
If you want to sell your home, make sure you and your agent are doing everything possible to accommodate showings. Remember, every showing is an opportunity, don’t miss an opportunity!!
