As a real estate agent, one of the things that frustrates me to no end is home sellers remaining present during buyer showings.
The reason is quite simple, if you remain in the home while it is being showed then the buyers are not comfortable taking their time to really look at your home and appreciate it. The reason it frustrates me is that your home could quite possibly be a great fit for my client and I am trying my best to sell your home, but you’re working against me.
You may think that if you hang out in the basement it will be ok, but it’s not. Buyers need to discuss the pros and cons of the home, in order to make a decision. This is always best done in the home because if there are any concern or objections then we are able to investigate and discuss in the moment. If the buyers feel rushed when looking and uncomfortable to talk frankly because the owners are present, and then have to discuss the home after the fact, they almost always forget important details and chances are they move on and buy another similar home.
Now I do understand that not everyone can be away from their home 18 hours a day and that’s ok. Here are some options that I give to my home selling clients to make being away from the home work:
1) Schedule times when the home can be shown. If you make it clear right from the beginning what times are good and what time are not, then agents will be sure to respect your time when booking. As an added bonus, you can build a routine where you know when you have to be ready for showings and then for the rest of the time you can live as normal.
2) Price. One of the reasons home owners are present during showings is that they have grown fed up with always having to leave the home. It is a pain to constantly go in and out and that’s why pricing the home properly is critical. The better your home is priced, the faster it will sell and you can get on with the business of moving.
3) Find something to do during showings. Maybe you can walk the dog, or take care of errands. Generally speaking, a home showing doesn’t take that long, so try your best to get out before the potential buyers arrive.
It really comes down to desired results. If you want to sell your home in Mississauga and get the best results, you will not be home when the buyers come to look at your home!
Great Post! It is so true, when I sold my condo last year I always made sure to leave before the agent arrived because I wanted them to spend a long time. The way I look at it the longer the buyers look, the better chance I have of selling!