Showing Instructions Can Doom a Quick Sale

In order to sell your home for the highest price in the shortest amount of time, there are many factors to consider. Some of the more important items are the price of the home, selecting the right Realtor, and having attractive curb appeal. These are my top three, but almost as equally important is having the property available for showings when buyers want to see it. Not on your schedule, but on theirs'. Restrictive showing instructions can doom a quick sale.

Selling your home is a monumental inconvenience to a families' daily routine. Keeping your home clean and available for daily showings takes hard work and planning. You need to keep in mind that it is important to take advantage of the physiological mindset of Buyers.  When they are hot, you need to get them in your home. If they have to delay gratification, they may fall in love with another house.

Restrictive showing instructions, such as: appointment only, 24 hour notice, listing agent must be present , or owner must be present; tend to damper the buying mood of most people. Requiring the listing agent or owner to be present would inhibit many Buyers and make them uncomfortable.                                                                                                                                                                         While it is certainly possible to sell your home with these kinds of restrictions, they will certainly lower the number of showings of your house and increase it's time on market. When your home is up for sale, it needs to be available for showing with two hours notice. You really need to commit to having your home ready for showings 100% of the time during showing hours. Showing hours should start at 9 AM and go to 7 or 8 PM to allow Buyers to view your home after work. Many people achieve these targets and you can too.

I can understand that having strangers going through your house can make you uncomfortable. You need to stop thinking of your home as being your personal sanctuary. Accept that selling it is just a business transaction and a tool to help you move on to achieve future goals. To help attain additional piece of mind, remove any valuable personal property and put it in a secure storage facility.

There are few legitimate reasons to restrict the showing of your home. Anything less than easy availability is going to increase the time it takes to sell your home and most likely result in a lower sale price. However, if restrictions are needed, talk with your Realtor on ways to minimize their effects. The more motivated and committed you are as a Seller, the easier it will be to sell your home.

Please read a related topic about refrigerator magnets.

Wayne B. Pruner is a Realtor® at Oregon First, who works in the Portland and Tigard, Oregon area. He is ready to help you with all your real estate needs. His phone number is 503-891-0795. Here are links to his real estate website and his real estate blog.