Question:
“I really don’t want to be bothered with showings of my home. I talked with one agent who promised he’d accompany other agents for all the showings. Would you be willing to do that?”
Answer:
No matter what happens, if you live in the house, somehow you’re going to be involved in the showings.
Even if that agent REALLY does what he promised, he’d still have to call you and let you know. And if you had previously planned to be home at the time the showing is scheduled, you’d either be there during the showings (bother?) or leave (bother?).
And here’s why what your agent proposed is actually BAD for you and your home sale…
In some upscale neighborhoods (La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe), many agents promise they’ll provide upscale service by being at all showings.
Sounds great, right?
Here’s an all-too-real behind-the-scenes reenactment of what often happens…
- Buyer-Agent Alice and Buyer Bob plan to see homes on Tuesday.
- Alice calls the seller’s agent Saturday to arrange to see a home he has listed.
- The agent calls back Monday and says, “I have to be there for you to show it, but I’m busy tomorrow. How’s Friday?”
- Buyer Bob can’t do Friday, so Alice shows him other homes.
- The seller asks his agent why they haven’t had a showing in a week.
- The agent tells her, “Someone wanted to see your house but the timing didn’t work. If he’s serious, he’ll change his schedule.”
- Buyer Bob, who IS serious about buying a home, buys a different home he’s able to see.
- Two weeks later, the seller’s agent tells the seller, “Your home isn’t selling. We need to drop the price.”
That was a hypothetical story. Here’s a real one.
I wanted to see a condo on a Monday that required the seller’s agent to be there, so I called the agent Saturday to arrange it. She finally called back Monday(!), saying she hadn’t reached the owner. Then she actually said, “If you want a view, this unit doesn’t have much. Are you sure you want to see it?”
So here’s the best advice I can give you…
Showings for your home should be “call first/lockbox”. That means agents will call you and arrange a showing or leave a message, then use the lockbox if you’re not home.
“Call first/lockbox” allows for the most showings, which means more interest, more offers, and on average a faster sale at a higher price.
Isn’t that worth a tiny extra bother?
