What is Proper Showing Etiquette When Multiple Agents and Buyers are Involved?

Sandy--I personally don't feel comfortable showing a house that is being shown by another agent. I'm uncomfortable. The buyers are uncomfortable. It is hard to ask questions, give opinions, etc. I think it's best to always try not to double-book private showings. If they do overlap, however, I like how you handled it -- by waiting outside and then letting the agent know other people were waiting.

I've experienced this, especially with those homes that are well priced and perceived as bargains and deals. It's inevitable that this may happen. If I get to house that is already being shown, I poke my head in and politely ask if it's OK that we come in as well and stay out of their way. If I have an appointment to show and am on a schedule with my client, i don't really want to wait around for the other people to finish but I always ASK and am VERY polite about it. To this day, I've never had someone say NO, we must wait. I also truly do try to stay out of the way, if the other agent & buyer are upstairs, then we'll start downstairs and maybe pass each other along the way. And, when I'm showing a home and another agent comes in after me with their client, I kindly oblige to them too. Hey, if the house is getting that much traffic that people are running into overlapping shows, then maybe the buyers do need to see this and be aware of the situation. I've actually never had anyone express that they were uncomfortable but everyone is different. Good luck!

Sandy I think you did the right thing.  If your client is uncomfortable then ask them to give you some time.  Otherwise if your client is comfortable then just be yourself.

Sandy, I think one set of buyers at a time should look at a house. This doesn't always happen of course but it does allow you to have privacy. Where this hasn't worked when one set takes too long on the preview. Then the group waiting outside gets annoyed. Open houses of course are different and are more a free for all, like a model home in new construction.

I agree with Gary. One set of buyers at a time except when the first groupis in the home for a ridiculous amount of time.

Scott

www.TeamConnect.biz

It does not bother me, when other people are in a house, I have never had a client who had an issue with that either... :)

First one there, first one in.

If another agent is there with clients then we wait.  I want my clients to have privacy to view the home without bumping into others or having to watch what they say.

Hi Sandy, Last summer, my buyers and I were looking at a house, when we opened the curtains to see the view, we were surprised to see another agent and his buyers waiting outside.. the whole day was funny as the houses we were looking at were the same ones - whoever got there first went inside, and whoever got there last waited outside!

I think this is proper -- unless it is freezing cold, or raining - in inclement weather no one should have to wait outside, and we should just make this best of that situation!

With regular retail home buyers, my preference is to only have 1 set of buyers in the home at a time.  Otherwise it can ruin the showing experience.

Sandy,

It depends on the situation and the buyer. 

Ann Hayden in lovely Wildwood, Missouri

Hi SS- In our area, we're supposed to call the showing service to schedule a time to show the house. They never schedule two showings at the same time. One time I arrived at a showing a little early and didn't realize there was an agent in the house with clients. The agent (somewhat rudely) asked us to wait outside, and we did. Another time, my clients and I arrived at a scheduled showing to find an agent and clients already in the house. They hadn't called to schedule it and also didn't leave when we walked in. I didn't ask them to leave because my clients were ok with it. However, I feel they should have left as soon as we walked in.

Sandy, I do the same, I wait with my clients out by the street and wait my turn. Sellers should love seeing buyers backed up to see their house...

Sandy - If I arrive at a house in the process of being shown, I wait for the agent to exit and return the key to the lockbox, before accessing with my own key, and viewing with my client.  The reason for this is that our lockboxes record the showings, and identify those that have accessed.  If there is an issue at the house, it is a way to determine, with whom that issue may be.

Respect each others showing.  Allow each party to go in alone to avoid hearing other comments which may influence a choice.

I really don't run into this all that often but I would imagine that a buyers client would be very uncomfortable if they were looking at a house and another buyer just showed up and starting looking at the house also.  But there's different strokes for different folks.  Some people may feel that this is a popular property and that if they like it they should move fast.