When Can I Show Your Listing?

Chuck - It's hard to believe that it can be so difficult to show a home.  It makes you wonder if the sellers really want to sell... :)

Hi Chuck,

I've run into this before as well.  I just make the explanation to my buyers that the sellers don't want the listing shown and leave it at that.  Usually, withing a couple weeks, I get a call or email from the listing agent wondering when we want to see it...I just say that we've moved on

It always amazes me when sellers want the home showed on their schedule and not the buyers. I would advise any seller to accomodate when the buyer is at the door. Sellers do not understand that preapproved buyers are golden since it has become tougher to obtain a mortgage. Good Luck!

It seems that the sellers think that their home is going to be in demand, so they decide in the begining we will sell it on our terms when we are good and ready!  Big mistake.

No Mondays??? that makes so little sense!  I understand one bad day a week, but multiples???  Perhaps it was just a fluke that there was something wrong   or they are not really sellers

I think they should remove the property from the market since it seems like they don't want to sell it.

I've found sellers to be very accommodating lately (heck, half the homes are vacant!). Most of the buyers recently have said, lets skip it, sounds as though they aren't motivated to sell....

Hi Chuck: 

It's amazing how sellers think that their house is so special that they can be so selective about showings. I recently had an occurrence that still amazes me. I had a very qualified couple that had expressed an interest in seeing the house that they thought was the right one. I set up the showing for 5:30 on a particular mid week evening. We showed up at the house about 5 minutes early, and as I typically do, I rang the doorbell as I started to open the lock box.

The door opened, and there was the owner, with a napkin in his hand telling us that we needed to come back in an hour as he worked late and he and the family were just getting down to dinner. I politely asked if he would at least allow us to see the other portions of the house, basement, etc so as to get a feel for the house. As he slammed the door on us, he shouted that he had called the listing agent 15 minutes earlier to notify us of the situation and if we wanted to see the house, we would just have to wait.

I looked at my clients and in unison they said let's get out of here. That was back in November. The house is still on the market, now $35,000 dollars cheaper.

Go figure

Some of the problem is the number of short sales....they don't really care. Then there are the seller's with equity who almost resent having to be on the market...it's funny. Everyone has the expectation again of multiple offers....and they are getting them.

It doesn't sound like the sellers are really want to sell to me, too, Chuck.  Why else wouldn't they allow the home to be shown.  Maybe your buyers will find it cheaper in a couple of months.

Chuck ... I agree that sellers should always be flexible about buyer showings for their homes. If they as owners aren't allowing showings, buyers will lose interest and move on to another property.  That's human nature and understandable.

Not only in your instances, but in general, it really surprises me how picky and "unavailable" sellers are in times like these, especially when someone could have the next buyer for their house.

Chuck--I have had sellers who suddenly make their home unavailable. When I ask them about it, it is that they have decided not to move after all and we take it off the mkt.

Perhaps it is a divorce situations and the one left in the home does not want it sold.

Chuck, I have definitely had similar experiences on the buying and the listing side where the seller places restrictions on the showing times.  It ultimately hurts the seller and slows down the process of the home being sold.  It's shocking sellers would do such a thing in this market!