Last Friday I was calling to set appointments for one of my buyer clients and was surprised that 2 of the 8 homes denied my showing times.  Each homeowner had more than 24 hour notice: these were not last minute calls so I couldn’t imagine why the sellers denied the showings.  The buyers went through the other 6, found one they liked and we negotiated an accepted offer.

If your home is on the market you have to realize that you might not get a second chance to make a first impression.

Try not to think of it as your home anymore.  Think of it as if you’re a host to a potential buyer’s party.  The more they enjoy that party, the more likely they’ll want to stay!  Heck they may even pay your desired cover charge to stay;-)

What you do when you’re hosting a party:

1. You clean your home.
2. You try and think of what your guests might want so you can accommodate them.
3. You’ll send an invitation with directions on how to get there.
4. You’ll welcome your guests, even if they come early or late.

What you don’t do when you’re hosting a party:

1. Leave your home cluttered and dirty.  That might be how you live in it from time to time, or all the time in some cases, but not how you would want your guests to see it.
2. Only have what you want to drink or eat with little thought of what your guests like and want.
3. Make sure your home is hard to find.
4. Send out an invitation only to cancel without telling anyone.
5. Deny any guest entry who is even a minute or two too late or early.

Now, if you’re the one bringing the money, which party would you rather go to?