Showings
When the marketing plan is put in place, the activity on your property will begin.
You listing REALTOR®, along with REALTORS® from many real estate firms, will want to show your home. We will make an agreed upon protocol for making appointments for the viewings, providing you as much advance notice as possible. You may wish to consider how your REALTOR® and others will gain access to the home for showings. Providing a key, or having a lockbox installed on your door, will help increase your odds for a sale by allowing more qualified buyers to easily see your home. You do not want to miss an opportunity because you home was not able to be shown.
Most REALTORS® do try to arrive within the schedule showing time, but occasionally there are delays. Buyers might arrive late for their appointment. Trying to be flexible and understanding is valuable.
When you leave the house, please leave it as if you know it is going to be shown. You never know when the right person is going to look at it!
DURING A SHOWING
- Open all draperies and window shades during daylight hours
- The kitchen and bathroom should sparkle
- Beds should be made and clothes picked up. Bathrooms should be clean, with towels folded and toilet lid down
- Open windows one half hour before showing to circulate fresh air
- Open all the doors between rooms to give an inviting feeling
- Place fresh flowers on kitchen table and/or in the living room
- If possible, bake cookies or bread to add an inviting aroma
- Turn on all lights and replace bulbs with high wattage bulbs where needed
- Pets should be confined or restricted from view. Eliminate pet odors. Not everyone may share your love of animals. Some people may be allergic to them
- All jewelry and small valuables should be stored in a safety deposit box or in a locked closet
- If any items are not included, as per the listing contract, consider replacing them, if that’s your ultimate intention, or remove them
While all of these suggestions may seem like common sense and predictable, you might be surprised by how much something so simple can set you apart from the house next door – successful showings are the result of good preparation.