Should you drive-by before making a showing appointment?
Should buyers do drive-bys before we schedule showing appointments? Sometimes that may not be a bad idea as Mary Douglas points out. If the buyer refuses to go inside after the appointment has been made, it can be an awkward situation for the agent and the seller.
Maybe a drive-by isn't such a bad idea after all. Just saying...
Often sellers will go next door, or get in their car and park around the corner when there is a showing- that way they know when they can go back home and get on with their normal lives.
So what happens when they see the buyer with their agent simply drive by at the showing time…..? and they don’t even bother to go inside?!
You know the sellers cleaned and made sure everything was just right for them. You have to know that it’s not the most convenient thing to have to leave your home when you are a seller- pack up the kids; the dog and the cat…maybe leave in the middle of the baseball game or their favorite television show, too...
On the other hand, I've been that buyer's agent and when we are right in front of the house, and the buyer says, “I don’t want to even go in”, I can't make them go in. It happens. I do feel badly for the sellers when I know they have left their home for this showing. But, the buyers have their reasons; perhaps it’s because they don’t like the land, or the setting.
Depending on the buyers and circumstance, I might say, “Well, we’re here anyway, it will just take a few minutes to go look, the more you see, the more you will know about what’s available in our market.”
AND/OR
“Things might look/seem entirely different when you’re inside looking out….than when you’re outside looking in.”
.
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Sometimes, I think these things happen because, buyers don’t have the time to drive by the properties before making an appointment and other buyers dictate to the agent what homes they (think they) want to see, instead of relying on their agent’s expertise to show them only the homes that suit their specific criteria.
Doing a drive by before making the appointment, if possible, would help avoid this happening....
I know it is disappointing for the sellers to see.
I can feel them watching, staring holes in the back of my head, when I'm that agent in the car, too! If looks could kill, I'd probably be dead.
“A Day in the Mountains will always soothe your city soul”
Mary Douglas, your Mountain Broker-Associate and REALTOR®
United Country Ponderosa Realty, Red Feather Lakes, CO
www.marydouglas-redfeatherlakes.net
800-531-2195
I specialize in the Red Feather Lakes area, Fox Acres, Crystal Lakes and Glacier View Meadows Subdivisions, if you are interested in buying or selling your mountain home, please give me a call, I’m here to help you.
The information contained in Mary’s blog is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and the opinions and views expressed in these articles are solely those of the author.
I write about my area in Colorado; Law, Custom & Procedure vary from State to State and even within the State.
REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL. Always consult with your LOCAL Real Estate Professional.
Website: www.marydouglas-redfeatherlakes.net
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