Sundell Realty’s Guide on Conducting Showings
by Andrew Sundell
The Way You Conduct Your Showings, Matters!
As a listing specialist, I have experience marketing and selling homes at various price points in many different communities. No matter the price point or community, each client has their own preference on how showings are conducted. In most cases, the clients leave it to me to decide how to conduct showings. Contrarily, some of my clients have required that I attend every showing, so each one had to be coordinated around my schedule.
I can understand and have respect for both of these schools of thought. In this article, I inform home sellers of the benefits and drawbacks of requiring the listing agent to attend showings.
When a Seller Requires the Listing Agent’s Attendance at Showings
If you are a home seller yourself, you may have considered asking your listing agent to attend showings. In my experience, there are two primary reasons why sellers would consider this. First, they may be concerned about the possibility of theft or damage from buyers walking through. And second, home sellers want their agents to attend showings so they can “sell” the house. Below, we take a look at the pros and cons of requiring your agent to attend showings…
Requiring Your Listing Agent to Attend Showing
- Pros
- Listing Agent Can “Sell” the House
- Through conversations with the seller and through their own research, listing agents should be equipped with a wealth of knowledge about the property & area. Thus, they can easily answer buyer questions and explain various features of the house and community.
- Prevent Theft & Damage
- By attending showings, the listing agent can ensure buyers are careful inside the home to not damage or dirty anything. In addition, the buyers will be less inclined to steal valuables if they know the listing agent is nearby.
- Listing Agent Can “Sell” the House
- Cons
- Buyers & Their Agents Can Become Annoyed
- If the listing agent is constantly lingering around and inserting their two cents on overheard conversations, the buyers and their agents can get agitated. Most buyers want privacy and the ability to openly discuss the house – after all, this will probably be one of their biggest investments ever…
- Listing Agents Can Be Ill-Informed
- If your listing agent has not done any research, or is not experienced in your area, he or she may fall short of “selling” your house. This can actually hurt the sale of your home because the agent may provide inaccurate details that dissuade the buyer from moving forward.
- Showings Will Be Denied Due to Time Conflicts
- If you’ve chosen an established listing agent, there is a good possibility that many showing requests will be declined due to time conflicts with their schedule. This severely hinders your property’s chances of receiving an offer as it limits the pool of potential buyers. In a low-inventory market, buyers must move quickly to see all available options and can easily pass up your house if they can’t get in when they need to.
- Theft & Damage Can Still Occur
- Yes, your listing agent is at the house during the showing. But no, he or she is probably not attached to the buyers’ hips the whole time (at least I hope not). Therefore, theft and damage can still occur despite your agent’s presence. In addition, your listing agent is probably not familiar with your personal possessions or valuables which would make it difficult to determine if something was stolen.
- Buyers & Their Agents Can Become Annoyed
The Final Verdict?
I think it is valuable to have your listing agent attend showings with specific types of properties. It would be valuable if you are selling a unique property that requires a bit of an explanation to truly and accurately portray its features and amenities.
For instance, you are selling a farmhouse with a horse stable, riding pens, and electric cattle fencing – your agent can definitely add value and help “sell” the house if they know their stuff. Another example would be if you are selling a 10,000 square foot house with an elevator, indoor pool, outdoor kitchen, and an integrated whole home entertainment system – a house like this has atypical amenities that 99% of houses on the market do not have and a listing agent can add value.
In many cases, when sellers require their agent to attend showings, it is unnecessary. If you are concerned about theft, you should secure all of your valuables or take them out of the house during the listing period. After all, the typical listing contract does not hold the real estate agent responsible for taking stock of your valuables and ensuring nothing goes missing. The moral of the story is, anything that hinders buyers from seeing your property can severely hurt the value your home receives – so, make it as available as possible!
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