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Please Leave!

Your house has been on the market for a couple months. Your agent called you yesterday to let you know that an agent is showing your house tomorrow. They will be there between noon and 1pm. What do you and your husband do when the agent and the buyer get there? Well, here is what happened to me and my buyers. You open the door and go back to watching TV and sit on your recliner. When we venture downstairs, we find your husband in a room with the door closed, watching TV. Now, my buyers feel like they are intruding and interrupting your Saturday afternoon. They hurry through the rest of the house, wondering how many other family members are watching TV in other rooms? After another minute, we thank you and leave.

If you are a seller and are trying to sell your home, please leave when there is a showing scheduled. I am trying to get my buyer thinking about where their furniture is going to go. It is hard for me to do that when you are still sitting in yours.

Your recliner

Posted by Rich Mielke, REALTOR, Frederick Maryland Real Estate on 01/25/2009 08:31 PM

Comments (11)

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11 Comments on Please Leave!

JAN

That really happens more often that it should. Sometimes the listing agent tries to prep their client to do what's right. Other times, not. But, hey, what are you gonna do? If the house has been on the market for awhile, or they're tenants, or in a short sale/foreclosure situation or they just aren't that motivated after months of being on the market, the folks inside will just live life.

I agree with you. If the Seller want to sell their house, they should keep their home in good, show-able condition and leave for the fifteen-thirty minutes it takes to show the house

Ken - It was a sunny day, younger folks, they could have gone for a walk. After we got outside, I asked my buyers if the kitchen had a gas or electric stove. They told me they couldn't remember, they just felt like they were imposing and wanted to leave.

Rich-

First of all, I love your picture! Reminds of Archie Bunker. I completely agree with you. Buyers almost run from the house if the seller is home. It makes everyone uncomfortable.

JAN

Hi Rich, I think that you and I showed the same house! I walked into a house once and the man was still sound asleep in bed when I opened the bedroom door! I hate that!

Rich, Exactly true words you speak. The worst time I had with this was when I had tenants in a house that I owned and they would not leave when I brought a buyer. And to make matters worse they started telling all the bad things about the house and the neighborhood to my perspective buyers....Why? Because they did not want to leave. I got so mad I cussed them out when the buyers left and then evicted them. :) Sorry for venting but your blog brought back some really bad memories.

Jen - The chair about matched the decorating style of the owners.

Sandy - The worst part is they both sat there like they were in a trance.

Jane - Tenants are the worst. They will do what they can to discourage a sale.

JAN

The worst I came across was during a home inspection when one of the bedroom doors was closed. I asked the Sellers -- who rarely are at home inspections here, but they were this time -- if there was anyone in the room. They said no. So I opened the door and there was their son laying spread-eagle on the bed sleeping. I told the Sellers that someone was sleeping in the room and they said that they never heard him come home from his graveyard shift.

Now I knock on all closed doors -- loudly.

FEB

Just today I had a lady blow smoke in my face when I she answered the door. She followed us around the house with non stop chatter and the lit cigarette in hand. It was a quick visit.

FEB

It's a shame that this happens so often. I'm not sure if it's bad coaching on the part of the agent or the seller isn't that interested in selling. Either way, I've rarely had a buyer linger in a home when the seller was there.

FEB

My worst showing was when I got there and it was pretty obvious that they were having a disagreement. We hurried through and scratched it off the list.

DEC

I just showed a house the other day where not only was the owner home, she kept chasing two little kittens around the house. My client had two comments he muttered as we left. cats and cigarettes!

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