Great news! We have our first showing request!
Here's what to expect...
Showing Time
Now that your house is on the market, we are going to start getting calls from Realtors who are interested in showing your home to their buyer clients. It’s important to remain as flexible with showing appointments as possible during this time. It’s typical to get showing requests 24-48 hours in advance of the actual appointments, but some showing requests do come in same-day or even same-hour.
As a value-added benefit for my clients, I utilize Showing Time services to schedule showings and provide showing feedback. This allows Buyer’s Agents to request showings 24/7, and for us to stay consistently responsive to requests for showings without any delays. Learn more: Seller's Guide to Showing Time.
I suggest that you download the My Home by Showing Time mobile app here. This app is very intuitive and will keep you up to date on your property’s showing activity and feedback. From the app, you’ll be able to immediately respond to showing requests. You’ll also be able to view detailed listing activity reports.
One your listing goes live in the Multiple Listing Service, I will set up the Showing Time account for you. You will receive an invitation to create a username and password (your username will be your email address). Note: you won't be able to set up your account until after the listing is activated.
It’s important for me to have contact information and instructions from the designated contact person(s) for showing requests. If you have specific concerns relating to advance notice for showing appointments, we will want to discuss this before your house goes on the market so that I can best comply with your wishes.
Showing Appointments
When showing appointments are confirmed, Showing Time will inform you which licensed Realtor will be showing the property and at what time. Expect showing appointments to span an hour, unless you are informed otherwise. You should plan to be away from your house (and also remove your pets from the home) during all scheduled showings.
Be prepared to provide some flexibility to buyers and buyer's agents with regards to showing appointment timing. Some prospects will arrive later than expected, and some people may even be no-shows without a call to notify us. Realtors are expected to leave your house as it was found after their showing of the home, with all doors locked (if they were locked upon arrival) and all lights as they were upon arrival. Realtors are also expected to leave a business card in a prominent place in your home to announce that they’ve been inside. Again, this doesn’t always occur.
Theft Considerations
While we all wish it weren’t the case, people sometimes steal. Before you open your house up to showings, I suggest that you remove or hide valuables, especially small ones that can easily be slipped into someone’s pocket. Be sure to remove or hide cash, jewelry, irreplaceable keepsakes, firearms, sensitive documents and prescription medications. Realtors will be with their clients during showings of your house, but it’s best to remove your valuables and remove the temptation for theft.
I also strongly suggest that you contact your homeowners insurance provider to ensure that your insurance policy coverage is sufficient for your needs, especially considering that a number of strangers will be walking through your property.
Showing Feedback
Immediately after showings have been completed, the buyer's agent will be contacted to request feedback and inquire if their client is interested in your property. Unfortunately, only a minority of Buyer’s agents provide feedback for any given showing. If I receive feedback, I will immediately forward it to you. Try not to take feedback too personally; if it is constructive, it should give us a chance to discuss potential adjustments to our staging, marketing or pricing strategy. I will be constantly evaluating feedback and discussing adjustments to how we're marketing and presenting your property.
Remember, we’re just looking to find the one Buyer who loves your home. According to the National Association of Realtors, the typical buyer views 10 homes before deciding on one to purchase. As such, we can expect that your home won’t be “the one” for everyone who walks through the door. But I’ll keep working hard to get as many people through the door as possible so we can find just the right Buyer for your property.
Key Takeaways
Before showings, make sure your house is clean and tidy, turn on all lights, open blinds and do what you can to make your home inviting to the buyer.
Leave the house about 10-15 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment.
Plan to be away from your home for approximately one hour during each showing appointment, and bring your pets with you.
If you do encounter buyers or their agent and they have questions, politely direct them to reach out to me, your Realtor, to handle all concerns.
If you have any questions, let me know. Now, let’s get your house sold!