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Showing Etiquette While Another Agent is There Too

What is the showing etiquette where you are?

What I'm used to is calling a showing service and scheduling my showing. The showing service then tells you if there is another showing already scheduled during that time, but it's just to let you know that someone else might be there too, no biggie. You don't reschedule or anything.

You go to your showings. If someone is there showing their buyers, you politely knock on the door (as it's usually wide open), walk in, and introduce yourself. You then proceed to let them know you'll go ahead and take your buyers upstairs, or to the backyard, or anywhere else that the first buyers aren't.

What you don't do:

1. You don't sit in your car and wait for the first group of buyers to leave. Why? One, you're on a schedule and have several other homes to show. Two, it shows both groups of buyers that there is interest in that home or just in that price range and they need to be prepared to possibly compete with multiple offers. Three, if you can hear what the other buyers have to say, you might get to learn their motivation and whether or not you will be competing with them if both buyers like the house. ** Always remind your buyers NEVER to talk when another party is around**

2. You don't just walk in and start looking around right under the other buyers' noses. Give them their space and they'll give you your space.

3. You don't interupt the other group by asking, "Are you done in here yet?" That's just plain rude and it makes a bad impression in front of your own clients.

4. You don't talk with the other buyers. This is bad! You might think you're just being nice, but what if the buyers like you better than their agent? The other agent can file an ethics claim that you disturbed an agency relationship and "stole" their client out from under them. It's best to just smile and nod.

If you were there first, and you're ready to leave, you politely let the other agent know where you are putting the key for them to lock up, or you find the other agent and actually hand them the key. If you were the second group and you are finished before the first, politely acknowledge to the other agent that you're finished, so he/she doesn't take the time looking for you to give you the key if you've already left and he/she didn't realize it.

My new market doesn't have a central showing service, so you won't know if someone else will be there unless you're inadvertantly told by the listing agent or the seller when you call, but the etiquette still applies.

**Are You Packed Yet?**

Donna Harris, REALTOR®
RE/MAX Austin Skyline
www.DonnaHomes.com
Donna@DonnaHomes.com

Austin, TX and the surrounding areas of Lakeway, Bee Cave, Westlake Hills, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Spicewood, Circle-C, Steiner Ranch, and everywhere in between... Whether you're buying or selling, I'll be with you through the entire process.

Posted by Donna Harris, REALTOR® & ASP - Hill Country Austin Lakeway Homes on 05/28/2009 05:02 PM

Comments (41)

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41 Comments on Showing Etiquette While Another Agent is There Too

MAY

Very nice post, Donna. You've hit all the points nicely. It is important to be respectful of the other buyers as well as the other agent at all times. This may be the perfect house for your clients but not for the others. You never know.

I tell my buyers to not say anything positive in front of the other buyers about the home as we don't want to increase their enthusiasm. This is business, yet we can still be polite, but quiet.

Lastly start showing homes in my neck of the woods.......my daughter needs shoes for college.

Great post Donna. This has been happening quite often in our area with home sales heating up, multiple offers and the like.

Any thoughts on when another agent is supposed to meet their clients at the house and they ask if they come in with you? This has happened quite often in the last two weeks to me.

Donna - Great post. I'm sure that the sellers would be very happy to have multiple parties in the home to cause a little buzz.

What great tips. Indeed, it can be a bit awkward with another set of prospects touring a property at the same time, and the agent has the ability to make the showing go smoothly, or do the opposite if they don't follow the advice above!

I've had other agents who wouldn't let us in the door when we arrived. Usually I will be polite and one set of folks starts upstairs and the other downstairs. Everyone just needs to be polite and civil and remember that the last one out is responsible for checking lights and locks.

Great post, Donna. It's funny how some people don't get the basics. The only other thing I do when I show a home that someone's already showing is to ask if it's ok if we take a look around. I've yet to be told no.

Good post! Etiquette is just common sense, and so essential to success.

So right. You probably wouldn't be surprised to know the things I saw taking place when the market was hot. I see the same sorts of shenanigans taking place now for REO properties.

Right you are. I had a showing once, I was at the property waiting on my buyer. Another agent shows up and says she will go ahead and show since my buyer was not there yet. I did not think she was an agent since she was wearing short shorts and flip flops. Tacky. She aslo sounded like she was forcing her buyers to consider that property. And then she lights up a cigarette when they were outside.

Donna - Manners go a long way , not only in the eyes of the other agents , but our own buyers as well.

I usually try to take my buyers to a different level than the other ones or outside (weather permitting) , and pass the keys to their agent if we leave first.

Hi Donna !

Time is the key for me here. I often have my buyers on a 5,6 or 8 home tour, and if I had to wait 10 or even 15 minutes for the prior agent to wander around there, I may be late for the next appointment(s) which I hate doing... so I do try - politely - to ask if it's ok to go to a different area of the house than the agent who is there already.

Some, however, have said 'no, I'd prefer if you wait outside' .. (in the cold !!!)

Congrats on the feature, and some good points there Donna !

Sheldon

Very good post on etiquette Donna. I like Tim Moncrief's comments. I haven't faced the situation yet, but very good one to remember.

Donna - here the unspoken etiquette seems to be for the other/s to wait outside unless the agent who is already in with the buyers offers to let you go ahead and start. On instance when it's a bank owned home or a swarm of activity it is typical many agents/buyers are there at the same time. ~Rita

I usually wait outside as well depending on how long they're taking. Although I did show up at one where they parked their cars in the driveway of the vacant home and then proceeded to walk around the block to look at others.

After realizing this and them taking an exceptionally long time in the driveway I did interject to ask if they were all finished up. as there wasn't anywhere to park without blocking the driveway of other homes.

Donna, what a great post! I love when there are multiple buyers there. It helps to create a sense of urgency! I like your etiquette list! Thank you!

Donna - I haven't run into that much, but as a listing agent, primarily, I would love multiple buyers in my houses at once! Also, I HATE listing agents present at showings, but that is another topic!

Heather, Thank you.

Tim, And so does mine... she grows out of shoes every 3-4 weeks!

Kim, I typically tell them that they need to wait for their agent as I can't be liable if anything happens while they're in the house. I've only had one be belligerent about it.

Elizabeth, Exactly! The more the merrier.

Ashley, You're right that it's not ideal, but it happens and so many people don't know how to handle themselves.

Cindy, They won't let you in? It's not their house!

Connie, Yes, sometimes a good, "Do you mind if we go upstairs/backyard/other room?" But it's not their house, and the owners have approved the appt, so permission is not needed.

Sea, Common sense, yes, but not everyone has this essential item!

Christianne, Games aren't good to play. These are people's expensive purchases they're making!

Angelia, Smoking with her clients? That's just improper in so many ways!

Laura, Sounds like what I do.

Sheldon, Time is exactly why I say not to wait in the car for the other party. You have appts scheduled and as long as you're courtious, show at the same time.

Suma, You like Tim's comment for me to buy his daughter some shoes?? J/K

Rita, I think that's a waste of time. Maybe you could help change the unspoken?

Brian, Again, isn't that a waste of time for both you and your clients? And the sellers on the other homes you're waiting to see as well? The next seller is going to wonder why you're late, and that's a bad impression as well.

Marney, The sense of urgency is the great! That way the buyers don't just listen to you about the market, but they can see it for themselves.

Wendy, Don't get me started with the listing agent being at the showings... what is up with Chicago and other places doing that??

Donna~ It is hard to believe that there are some agents don't really know what to do in these situations. It seems like common seems like common sense ....

Donna, I just had a conversation with my managing broker about this. I needed to take some pictures for my client so she could have her dad look at them to determine whether or not a certain area could be a problem...It was a HUD home so no showing appointment was necessary, you just go and show. Anyway, as I said I just needed to run in and take some pictures and be on my way...There was a group in the kitchen downstairs when I arrived, I just announced that I was a Realtor there to take a few pictures upstairs and I would be gone shortly. I took my pictures and left. I told my managing broker about it and he said I should not have entered the home and that I should've announced that I was there and I'd be outside waiting for them to leave...I guess this can really tick people and agents off if you come in while they are there. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but when he told me that I wondered how many other agents would feel that way.

Chanda panda

Donna - Whenever I'm showing a property to a buyer and another agent and their buyer are already there, I always politely let them know we are coming in and view a different part of the house. I also think having multiple buyers in a house at one time does create that sense of urgency between the buyers about what the other might be thinking and will sometimes prompt a buyer to put in an offer on a home he/she might otherwise put off for a day or two.

I was always taught to politely make the other Realtor aware of your presence and then wait outside until their buyers have toured the property. The sense of urgency is still their on both sets of buyers because they're all aware that others have interest in the property.

Vickie, But again, you have to be walking around with common sense to be able to use it.

Chanda, That's amazing that a broker would say that. Is he an "older" broker and doing things the "old school" way. He needs to get with the times where people have schedules.

Donna B, Exactly! The house you're thinking about tonight could be the same house that another buyer thought about last night... gone, ya missed it!

Vanessa, But the party in the house can take 30 minutes, an hour, however long they want, and that's not fair to your buyer or to the sellers on your other appts. I see your point, I just don't agree with it.

In our marketplace in Atlanta, if another agent is already in the property, our etiquette used to dictate that we do not go into the home until they are finished. They will not be able to talk to their clients while another agent is breathing down their neck. When this occurs, I normally show my clients the outside of the home, while the other agents are inside, or I may drive ahead to my next appointment and then come back.

Donna - I have never come across this situation here in the Nashville area. If this happened to me, I would introduce myself to the other agent or REALTOR and then wait for their walk-through to be completed. My client's time is valuable and understood they should be able to speak freely as we discuss the positives and challenges of the home. I would respect the agent that arrived first with the same courtesy.

And you do not get snarly when the agent showing is taking the lock box key back to the box to secure it and log out -- so you can log in ------------ some agents see to be annoyed when you try to properly log out ans seem to expect you to just hand over the key.

I've been cussed out by an agent for "being elsewhere in the house"... in front of her clients. I don't think it went well for her after that.

I softly and politely told her that she was terribly rude and if she had an issue it would have been WAY more professional to call me later. And I wouldn't want her clients to feel rushed because someone else was sitting in a car outside, nor did I have time to cool my heels outside, as I expected she didn't. It was all loud enough for her client to hear, but instead of half yelling, it was all low key... Her client was apologizing to me on the way out the door...

Liked the etiquette angle -- it's rarely a problem, but I wouldn't make my buyers sit outside in the car. It's similar to an Open House situation where you have a number of different folks looking at the same time, but staying out of each other's way - and being polite. Actually, I think the first agent should put the key back in the lockbox and make the second agent use the lockbox. This gives the listing agent information on both agents and the time they entered. Although I have done it both ways, this is probably the better option.

Generally speaking when I happen to run into an agent with other buyers because the nature of the beast I sell (Lake Property) if they are inside we look at the waterfront, dock, seawall boathouse, grounds ect... then move inside as the other agent and buyers are ready to move outside. If they are looking around outside we check out the house first and usually they are gone by the time we are done. Usually the only coversation is about where whoever is leaving first is leaving the key, back in lockbox or counter or passing it off.

How about treating people like we'd like to be treated! COME ON! Agents that aren't civil should not be in a service business!

MAY

Donna: Great post. Lots of great ideas. When I am out showing, and I see that the previous agent is still there... I do not hesitate to show the home. I agree... it creates urgency... obviously showing my buyers that it is an active market... and probably more active than they thought it was. "Congratulations on the Feature and Gold Star." Thanks for sharing.

Sounds like basic etiquette to me, though I often see that people here wait for the previous group to finish first.

Hi Donna... Good ettiquette is always appreciated. I especially like the part about creating a sense of urgency. Thanks for the important reminder and congrats on the gold star!

Jim, You said "used to"... what's the current etiquette?

Kenneth, Apparently you don't schedule many showings at once...

B & C, Our Supra system doesn't have a "log out" thing, so your situation doesn't happen here.

Lane, Wow, that is not good!

Sharon, Comparing it to an open house is an interesting theory...

Tammy, Makes perfect sense.

Lisa, Very true.

Karen Anne, Thank you!

Christine, Again, I don't see how that makes sense to wait.

Steve, Thank you!

"what's the current etiquette?" With all the new agents it is a total free for all! No one in Atlanta seems to adhere to any etiquette these days.

Great tips. Our MLS isn't supposed to double book, but sometimes it does happen. That, plus the fact that sometimes we run ahead of or behind schedule, this is a very common situation.

Donna, great post! I always tell my buyers to keep their mouths shut in front of the other buyers who might be there, especially if they like the place.

MAY

It's funny how customs are different everywhere you go... here, it's considered almost rude to enter a house when another agent is showing. I've been to show property when it was 110 outside and there was a long line of agents waiting politely outside the house with their buyers for what seemed like HOURS! Even with the morbid heat and the ridiculous number of interested parties, buyers had the privilege of leisurely viewing the home with privacy.

Donna,

Well said. Good manners and commons sense should always come into play.

Jim, That's sad that newer agents in your market don't know how to act.

Cheryl, Running ahead or behind schedule is very common, yes. Sometimes you walk in and walk out, and others you sit in for 20 minutes.

Pat, Exactly!

Sandi, No offense, but I think that's ridiculous. Especially if someone really likes the house, they could stay in there an hour with a line of people outside with the hopes that they would leave and not want to view the home. That does the sellers no good.

Richard, Well said.

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