Make sure your home is easy to show!

To get your home sold quickly, it’s important that other REALTOR ®s in the area show it to as many potential buyers as possible. The first thing a good REALTOR ® will do when working with buyers is talk to the buyer and learn what kind of home they are looking for. Then the REALTOR ® will search all the available homes for those most closely matching what the buyer wants. Next, the REALTOR ® puts together a list of the best matches to go show to the buyer. When a busy REALTOR ® is compiling a list of homes to show a buyer, the REALTOR ® will naturally tend to show those houses that are easiest to gain access to first. 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 REALTOR ®s can access. Homes that are listed as being “lock box, no appointment needed” will get shown more often than homes listed as “REALTOR ® has key, call for appointment”. If at all possible, you should let your REALTOR ® 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 REALTOR ®s 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 REALTOR ® 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 REALTOR ® and buyer arrive to see your home.  Buyers won’t feel comfortable with you there, and it could sour an otherwise good impression.