A few weeks ago, while attending a GRI class, one of the instructor's mentioned that approximately 50% of the active Realtors in the USA wouldn't show a home with a pet in the remarks of the MLS listing, regardless of the actual disposition of the pet, eg. confined, kenneled, boarded, crated, etc.  I found this factoid really amazing, and have thought since, more than a few times, what a disservice those Realtor's may be doing to the listing client (remember our credo - fair and honest treatment), and/or the buyer as well.

Admittedly, I am biased, as I have spent a considerable portion of my life closely attuned and very comfortable with a number of various pets.  My wife and I have been breeders of Akita's (Japanese Bear Dogs) and more recently Papillon's, but even before these we had various mutts, cats, horses, birds, etc.  I spent a few seasons training canines for guard and attack work for police departments, to pay the bills in college, so I overcame my innate fear of large snapping teeth, even though I have been bitten many times.  That is not to say I enjoyed the bites, but I always enjoyed working with these dogs, learning their language, and how to better understand and control them.

As a professional Realtor, how may I better serve my clients that have pets... at the very least I should tell them that they are automatically going to lose at least 50% (probably more due to unwilling clients of the Realtor's that would be willing to show the home) of their possible customers, by even having the pets in the remarks, regardless of the actual disposition of the pet in the home (crated, confined, kenneled, etc.). 

So, the best choice for them is to not have their pet home at all, it relieves a lot of marketing issues and a few legal ones as well.  It may be accomplished by boarding their pet at a pet Hotel or perhaps with a relative for an extended period.  But there are other alternatives that we all should be aware of, that may alleviate most of the fear and reduce the anxiety some of you may have towards entering a home with pets.

My wife and I, have always trained our dogs, whether they were 130lb Akita's or 4lb Papillon's, to use a 'crate'.  It is called 'crate training' and is a wonderful alternative for your seller's, and may well alleviate other behavioral issues with their pets as well (I always like multiple benefits). It is not cruel and unusual punishment for their pet, indeed they treat it as their 'safe haven or den' (provided it is used and trained correctly), and will often feel so secure they may sleep most of their time in it, much like I do in my den at home.  Then at least, our seller could mention that the pet would be crated and would therefore not pose a problem to the showing.  An outside kennel, would also be a reasonable alternative.

A poorer choice but better than free range, is to confine the pet to an area, but having recently seen a listing that remarked "Nervous Dog confined to Master Bathroom" what did the seller do to their chances of the house being shown - they almost certainly eliminated that house from any exposure.

I love animals, but I would never take a client to this house, Why?  Too much is unknown, this dog might be the sweetest lil pooch in the world and only gets 'nervous' with strangers and tinkles on the carpet, etc., or it may be the most vicious beast in existence and is just waiting to engulf some poor unsuspecting Realtor in it's Jaws of Death... either way who needs it.

As a professional, I must coach my clients to prepare not only their home but also their pets for this important transition.  Just as important, I must allay the fears of my fellow Realtors by assuring them that the pet is boarded or adequately confined, preferably crated.  I hope these tips will benefit you, and I will write next time on how to win friends and influence canines - a buyer's perspective.