Make sure your home is easy to show!

To get your home sold quickly, it’s important that other agents in the area show it to as many potential buyers as possible. The first thing a good agent will do when working with buyers is talk to the buyer and learn what kind of home they are looking for. Then the agent will search all the available homes for those most closely matching what the buyer wants. Next, the agent puts together a list of the best matches to go show to the buyer. When a busy agent is compiling a list of homes to show a buyer, there is a natural tendancy for the agent to show those houses that are easiest to gain access to first.  If your home is difficult to show, there is a possibility that the buyer will select another house, before they even see yours.  Many homes on the market have “lock boxes” on them. The lock box is a device which holds a key to the home, that only qualified local agents can access. Homes that are listed as being “lock box, no appointment needed” will get shown more often than homes listed as “agent has key, call for appointment”.  The more difficult it is for an agent to show your home, the less likely it is that it will be shown as often.  If at all possible, you should consider letting your agent put a lock box on your home for easier showing. 

If you can’t do a lock box, you need to be sure that you make it as convenient and easy as possible for other agents to show your home.  If they call, do whatever you have to do to accommodate letting them show your home to buyers on their schedule.  If you don’t, the agent will probably show the buyer other homes, and if that buyer makes an offer on one of them, you’ve just lost a great opportunity.

It’s best if you can leave when the agent and buyer arrive to see your home.  Buyers won’t feel comfortable with you there, and it could sour an otherwise good impression, or prevent the buyer from expressing an objection that might easily be solved IF the agent knows what the objection is.  I once sold a house that the buyer had originally rejected.  They loved the house, but hated the carpet.  Since the house was brand new, they knew the builder would never replace brand new carpet.  I knew the builder had several other smilar houses going and convinced then to make an offer subject to replacing the carpet.  The builder gladly replaced the carpet, we made the sale and everyone was happy, but if the buyer had not voiced their objection, we never could have solved the problem.  That is why it is so important to leave when your home is being shown, so the buyers may talk freely and express objections.  They won't do that with the owner nearby.