Why Your Listing Agent Wants You Out Of The House At Showings!
This happens so often. Truth be known, the buyers don't want the sellers to be home when they look. It makes the buyers uncomfortable, they tend to spend less time, and they are too distracted by the presence of the seller to really absorb the home. Buyers need to be able to envision themselves living in the home, not feel as if they are trespassing on someone else's property.
And then there's the information the sellers ALWAYS inadvertently give. Most sellers don't realize how damaging even the most innocent comment can be. In their haste to sell the property, they will often "offer up" things in the home, without even knowing what the buyer's offer might be. I've been in situations where the seller offers to leave the riding lawn mower or refrigerator, and when they see the initial offer, they take it back. It causes hard feelings from the very beginning.
It is always best to leave the negotiations and sharing of information to the REALTORS®.
Today, I showed several houses to a favorite buyer. And due to a thunderstorm that blew threw town while we were out looking, all these buyers were home for at least part of the showing. And all of them committed the one mortal sin of real estate. They chatted with me and my buyer. Some were more discrete than others.
Now, if your house is for sale, and if you are home when any agent shows up, zip your lip!
What you think of as pleasant banter is the agent trying to pump you for information she knows your agent would never tell.
Do you have another place to go. Have you purchased another house? Are you being transferred? Is this a happy move or a stress move?
Are you selling because of a happy new addition to your family? Or are you in the middle of a mean divorce? Are you moving to a new city for your dream job? Or are you selling because your job moved to China without you and you can no longer afford your place?
It goes to motivation. If you show up as needy and anxious and tell all, the agent showing your home will think you are more motivated than you might be, and the offer might come in a lot lower than what you'd like to see.
Your agent would never volunteer any of this information out of the blue.
Neither should you!
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