What Are The Showing Agent's Responsibilities To The Seller?
Many sellers have some unrealistic and/or inaccurate idea of the role of their listing agents when it comes to the sale of their property. Here's some great information about this from Liz and Bill Spear of Mason OH:
If 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
Serving Warren County Ohio & Adjacent Areas
The Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite
Elizabeth Spear, ABR, CRS
William (Bill) Spear, CRS
Ask for us by name if you visit the office!Two locations: Lebanon & Mason, OH
Direct: 513-520-5305
Direct #2: 513-265-3004
Fax: 866-302-8418
MailTo: LizSpear@Go-Concepts.comSearch Homes: Http://WarrenCountyOhioRealEstate.com
Our Website: www.LizTour.com
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