I enjoy welcoming prospective buyers when they visit the beautiful homes I represent, whether they come for an Open House or a private showing. I try to show off my clients' homes to their best advantage, and I also aim to create a friendly, relaxed environment in which buyers can touch fixtures, peak behind closed doors, and decide whether the space might work for them.
Most buyers investigate politely, without transgressing the unwritten rules of an informal home visit. But there are others who set my teeth on edge with their wanton disregard of Open House deorum. I've seen it all: people who turn on showers and dishwashers, crawl under kitchen sinks to check plumbing, pull down attic steps (and lots of dust and fiberglass) to climb unsteadily into secured storage areas, push buttons to open and close garage doors, and turn on stereo systems--all while I'm distracted or in another room. Their lack of respect isn't appropriate or appreciated, and on behalf of my clients, it offends me.
I've yet to see any of these intrepid amateur sleuths actually purchase a home they've so wantonly tweaked and tested, before they have any skin in the game. They haven't made an offer, or put down a penny in earnest money, and sometimes, they haven't even disclosed their real names!
Bona-fide buyers don't act this way, in my experience: they treat each home they visit with care and consideration, as if it were their own, because someday, it might be.
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