5 Reasons Why Every Showing Is Important

 

5 Reasons Why Every Showing Is Important

One of the worst strategies I see in home selling is when sellers put their home on market and THEN start cleaning and repairing it.  I firmly believe that you should think of your first showing as opening night, and each showing after that is a repeat performance.  Here are five reasons why I believe every showing of your home is important:

1)  You expect a buyer to be ready and you should be ready too.  Sellers expect that the buyers who are taken through their home have shown the financial ability to purchase it.  For most buyers, that means they must navigate an extremely complex and invasive mortgage pre-approval process, and these days that often means a financial dissection at the hands of a lender.  Most agents will require a pre-approval before they will even take a buyer to see your home. So don’t expect a buyer (or their agent) to be forgiving when you “aren’t quite ready.”  Buyers can be unforgiving of an unprepared seller.

2)   You may not get a second chance.  The orchestration of a showing appointment is complicated, and depending on how many decision makers need to be present, it could involve the coordination 4 or more people’s schedule to make a showing happen.  Although the best agents make it look easy, arranging showings is often a challenge.   Do not assume that the stars will align and that buyer will come back a second time after you’ve beautified the place.  They may be in from out of town or have taken the day off, not to mention how difficult it is for a busy agent to come back.  If you wasted their time, they may not want to, or be able to come back.

3) Even an agent preview is important.  I try to impress on my sellers that even a preview by another agent should be treated like a regular showing.  That means you should not be present  and your home should be in tip top showing condition.  That agent may be previewing your home for an out of town client who is relying on their judgment heavily, they may "farm" your area and have access to many active buyers who are looking in your exact neighborhood, or they may have an upcoming listing in the same area and you have either given them ammunition or an alternative if a buyer is not interested in their listing.

4) New listings are a hot topic among agents.  The agent who showed your home knows a lot of other agents and will discuss their opinion of your home with them.  And, word tends to travel fast.  Agents love to chat about new listings.  How many times have I heard or started a conversation with another agent with “Have you seen the new listing on XXX?”  Whether they are asking or telling, new listings are always interesting topics of conversation for agents.  I can probably count on one hand having conversations that went “Remember that listing on XXX?  They really cleaned it up.”  Sometimes a listing agent will call to mention that a home is "now ready," hoping to overcome the stigma of the first poor showings.  But, of course, that listing is then no longer the new kid on the block.

5)  Agents love to show homes that are easy to sell.  Homes that are well kept, clean, and easy to access for showings are generally easier to sell (leaving aside the issue of pricing).  If you are still painting or half the carpet is torn up waiting to be replaced, you are losing opportunities.  Chances are I’m not going to think of showing your home again to a “right now” buyer.  Even if your agent is diligent enough to update the MLS with remarks like “now repaired,” “carpet now replaced,” the agents who saw your home before may not review those remarks and may just assume the house is the same as when they saw it the first time.  

When you list a home you are opening the box office, the audience assembles, and when the curtain goes up, it is “showtime.”  Sellers who use being on market to motivate them to hurry along the process of preparing it for sale are making a mistake.   A showing is your time to shine and every showing is important.  

If you are considering a short sale of your Santa Maria, Orcutt, or Nipomo home, you should seek out an experienced Central Coast Short Sale Agent to guide you through the process.  If you would like a short sale consultation, please call my office to schedule a meeting or a telephone consultation at (805) 938-9950.

Tni LeBlanc is an independent Real Estate Broker, Attorney, and Short Sale Agent.   She is a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) and Certified HAFA Specialist (CHS) serving the Santa Maria, Orcutt and Five Cities area of the Central Coast of California.

*  Nothing in this article is intended to solicit listings currently under contract with another broker.  This article offers no legal or tax advice.  Those considering a short sale are advised to consult with their own attorney for legal advice, and their tax professional for tax advice prior to entering into a short sale listing agreement.  Mint Properties is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan. If you stop paying your mortgage, you could lose your home and damage your credit rating.

Copyright© 2011 Tni LeBlanc *5 Reasons Why Every Showing Is Important*