Do You Always Say Hello?
I imagine when you greet someone, or answer your phone, you say hello, or something similar. You do, don’t you?!
But do you say also hello when you are showing properties to buyers, or when previewing houses on your own?
Our neighbor’s house is for sale and I happened to be looking out my office window when someone arrived at the house to show it. She undid the lockbox, unlocked the door, and yelled “hello!” a couple of times.
It reminded me of the practice I always follow, saying hello, when I am touring homes with buyers, and when previewing them on my own, vacant or not. I’ve had a few embarrassing situations over the years that reinforce that saying hello a couple of times when entering a home for sale is a good thing to do.
First of all I think it’s just a professional courtesy since you are guest at the home. Yes, you’ve been invited, in a sense, and perhaps it feels silly yelling hello as you walk into an empty house.
I always knock and ring the doorbell and pause first before unlocking and opening the door, even when being told the property was vacant or no one would be home.
Too many times I’ve found that’s NOT always the case.
After opening the door I always yell hello a couple of times to check that no one is there, or if they are for me to find out right away and for them to know someone is there. I do this whether an appointment was made or the listing showing instructions say to go direct.
The thing is you just never know. Sometimes the owners have not yet left yet for the showing, or you’ve showed up a few minutes early. Yelling hello also typically gets the dog barking, which is useful when you didn’t know to expect one and have to quickly decide how to proceed.
I don’t do stand-offs with angry barking dogs, do you?
Every now and then the seller or occupant wasn’t told by the listing agent or didn’t get the message there was a showing appointment scheduled and is still there, and rather surprised to see someone walking in the door.
And sometimes not happy. That can be the end of that showing in many cases, and it’s rather embarrassing, especially if you are with clients. No, it’s not my fault but one feels like an intruder, and in a sense you are.
Sometime yelling hello doesn’t always do the trick. Someone taking a shower upstairs, listening to music with headphones one, or, well, perhaps doing other things, won’t always hear. So one might have one of those embarrassing showing situations we have all experienced, perhaps more than once.
I used to feel a little silly with buyers by yelling hello 2 or 3 times when entering a house. I got over that pretty fast after some embarrassing situations when I said nothing. It's a good precaution, and a courtesy, and buyers don't seem to care.
How about you?
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