by Bob Kelly, Guest Writer
“In these challenging times when sellers are desperately trying to gain as much exposure for their homes as possible, the thought of missing out on potential showings can keep one up at night. I don’t have to tell you about how much competition is out there. You are keenly aware of the statistics. But are you cognizant of subtle things you might be doing that prevent buyers from touring your home?
How easy are you making it for realtors to show your home? Do you require a lot of lead time? Sellers who request longer notice for showings are definitely missing out. In today’s fast paced, multi-tasking world buyers are looking on the Internet and then wanting to stop to see a house while it is fresh in their minds and they have a window of opportunity in their schedules. If you are asking for 24 hour notice or restricting showings between a certain time period, you will lose those potential buyers.
Are you insisting on being present during showings? If you feel that being the one to open the door to greet buyers is helping, you are absolutely wrong. In fact it is having the opposite effect. From the moment they enter your house you immediately have made them feel like they are intruding in your space. Even if you disappear afterwards the damage has been done.
If you refuse to put a lock box on your home and allow realtors to handle their clients, whom they know better than you, you are inhibiting them from doing their job as opposed to helping. Sellers who say they want to “be available to answer any questions” are actually saying they don’t trust the agents to actually sell the house or to watch over their clients. Most realtors gauge how much they can push and when it is best to step back and allow the house to speak to the buyers. Remember it is in the realtor’s best interest to sell the house.
You are also giving another impression that you may not have considered. Buyers may presume that you are desperate to sell. And by now we all know how that translates —lower offers. Or they could think that you are a difficult seller, when that isn’t the case at all. Whatever misinterpretation is occurring it certainly won’t help anyone—not the buyer, not the realtor, and certainly not you.”
Annapolis Real Estate and Relocation - Anne Arundel County, the Eastern Shore, and Surrounding Counties in Maryland
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