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What Are The Showing Agent's Responsibilities To The Seller?

By
Real Estate Agent with Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com SAL.2002007747

showing your Cincinnati home for saleIf you are listed with us to sell your home in the Cincinnati area, the most likely agents to show your home are NOT us as your listing agents.  We set the stage to entice buyers (and their agents) to visit your home. 

Sometimes we WILL show your home: 

  • if we happen to have a perfect match among our existing buyers
  • an unrepresented buyer calls us
  • Another agent needs our help to show your home

Now the agent showing your home has little true obligation to you as the seller.  After all, they're working for the buyer, right?  But there ARE certain things to be expected:

  • Maintaining the security of your home.  If it's locked when they get there, it should be locked when they leave.  Doors, windows, lockbox, etc. should all be secure when they leave.
  • Ensuring the buyers look at things they're allowed to look at and NOT things they shouldn't.  Your kitchen cabinets are fair game, but your bedroom dressers are off limits.
  • Ensuring your home doesn't get damaged (e.g. no pulling up the carpet to look for hardwood floors underneath).

Our experience has been that most agents will operate with common  courtesy and respect to you and your property, but there are times this isn't the case, so here are a few tips to help keep your blood pressure low:

  • Don't expect exact adherence to the time of the appointment.  That hour window often means the agent will USUALLY get there sometime in that time period.  Sometimes they run a bit early and hope you've already left the house, sometimes they run a bit late.  Sometimes REALLY late.  If that's happening, most agents will call the listing agent or showing center to ask for a new time.  But just in case, don't come home immediately after the showing is supposed to be over and do something you wouldn't want interrupted, capiche?
  • Don't expect showing feedback.  Some will provide, some won't.  The ones that don't aren't trying to be rude, they believe it's the only way to protect their buyer.  Ultimately the ONLY thing we care about getting is an offer.
  • Don't expect them NOT to try to pick your brain if you're home during a showing.  Frankly, it's their job to get as much leverage as possible for their buyers, so if you're there, they just may ask questions that seem innocent enough, but cost you thousands of dollars in negotiating leverage.  In other words, best not to be home.
  • Don't expect the lights to be turned off or a business card left to show they were there.  If you think they haven't come through, contact us and we'll check.

Ready to talk details about buying or selling a Warren County area home?  Please reach out to us at 513-520-5305 or Liz@LizSpear.com. 

We look forward to hearing from you! 

Serving Warren County area home buyers and sellers,

Liz and Bill aka BLiz

 

Posted by

Serving Warren County Ohio & Adjacent Areas

The Liz Spear Team of Transaction Alliance
Elizabeth Spear, ABR, Ohio License SAL.2002007747

William (Bill) Spear, Ohio License SAL.2004011109  Kentucky 77938
Ask for us by name if you visit the office!

EHO
Bill Direct:  513-520-5305
Liz Direct: 513-265-3004     
Fax: 866-302-8418

MailTo:  Liz@LizSpear.com

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Comments (13)

Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

BLiz- it's so important for sellers to understand just what they can expect from the showing agent, and also understand that they work for their buyers. 

Dec 03, 2016 04:17 PM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

BLiz, many sellers I have had over the years do get a little annoyed when agents do not leave cards, turn off lights, etc.  As long as the house is locked up and no damage done ... I feel we are doing pretty good. 

Dec 03, 2016 04:51 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

BLiz

I think it's important to understand reasonable expectations of showing agents (as should showing agents also understand and adhere to them), and you have outlined them well here.

Like Kathleen Daniels says not turning off lights or leaving a card may be somewhat minor in the overall scheme of things, although perhaps discourteous.

Jeff

Dec 03, 2016 05:01 PM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hi Liz and Bill --  establishing the expectation upfront when meeting with newly listed or soon-to-be sellers regarding outside agent "behavior" and "responsibility" is very smart in my opinion.   We do this(hopefully) on far more regular basis than our clients so it's good to remove as much "fear of the unknown" as possible.

Yes, I capiche and it's my job that my clients do as well.  

Dec 03, 2016 05:50 PM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Liz and Bill Spear - this is so true! Showing agents do come late often - and leave late, too.

I bookmarked the post - as these instructions will be shared with all the sellers.

Setting the expectation right at the beginning is what matters most.

Dec 03, 2016 11:04 PM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

(Somehow, your post was buried in the avalanche of posts from someone who is filling in the pages and pages of ActiveRain Blog-roll!)

Dec 03, 2016 11:06 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Good morning, Liz and Bill... this should be in a handbook given to all sellers when they first start the listing process. 

Dec 04, 2016 04:01 AM
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

Excellent information for sellers.  Many don't really understand this process.

Dec 04, 2016 05:08 AM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Kathy, We've found the better everyone involved understand the roles and responsibilities, the better the experience.

Kathleen, Considering how often we've had sellers call us about homes not being locked back up, the key in the door still, the lockbox undone, etc., I'm happy if the ONLY "problem" is lights or a card not left.

Jeff, Sometimes it's a challenge finding the right light switch to turn off the ONE light that doesn't want to go off :)

Michael, Getting the expectations established certainly helps. Standard number lockboxes are common here, so part of our "training" for our sellers is to show them how to use the lockbox just in case they come home and find it not closed up, or if they somehow lock themselves out and need that spare key.

Praful, It's often hard to accurately predict schedules, even with buyers we've been out with before.  Sometimes they'll stay really long at one home and put us behind, other times they pull up to the curb and see a dealbreaker next door.  We do our best to arrive (and leave) within our appointment window, but the leaving part can often run late.

Nina, Thanks!

Gabe, And that's why we're here to help.

 

Dec 04, 2016 05:53 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@Properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

B'Liz, I'd say this is universally great advice for sellers.  There's nothing quite like having a seller yell at you in front of the possible buyers because you arrived 5 minutes late.   Sad.

Dec 06, 2016 06:18 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Yes, these are perfect tips for both sides of the equation. Agents who are going to miss the window have to call and seller have to realize people are not always on time.

Dec 13, 2016 03:08 AM
Brenda Mayette
Miranda Real Estate Group, Inc. - Glenville, NY
Getting results w/ knowledge & know-how!

FANTASTIC, real life advice for sellers! 

Dec 13, 2016 04:26 AM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Pat, And a probable deal killer for the seller.   Can't think of many buyers that would walk away with a positive impression after that.

Kat, Always amazed when we get a call from a buyer's agent that is TWO HOURS after the appointment window wanting to know if it's still okay to go by??  I get we don't always know whether our buyers will be fast or slow lookers, but the realization that you're going to be late happens long, long before that call time.

Brenda, Thanks!

Dec 13, 2016 04:30 AM