Remember your manners when shopping for homes.

When you have your house on the market, you can expect DAILY interruptions in your routine.  Buyers will come see your house for weeks, sometimes months, before one makes an offer.   I prepare my sellers for this and most of them get it and are troopers about the process.    I have a house on the market owned by very conscientious, refined, well mannered sellers.  True gems.  Every time I set foot in the door they make me a cappuccino.   I am a very lucky Realtor.  And they are troopers about the constant showings.

They live in the house because it is not sold yet, and that's the plan.  Pretty normal for many sellers, I believe.  I would also assume there are many other sellers out there like this.  Just nice people who are trying to live their lives with daily interruptions!   They have very simple showing instructions.   Call ahead with one hour's notice.   I am very strict with my sellers on showing instructions, encouraging them to let people in without a lot of fuss.  I prepare them that this might always not happen that way and explain to them sometimes buyers can impulsively want to see a house.   But that's not what this is about.  

There is a violation of common courtesy that some agents and their buyers commit that is  akin to eating like this guy to the right ---- >

Most of these people probably would not eat this way - but they don't think twice about waltzing into people's homes unannounced.

We've experienced some basic violations of common courtesy here, and I'd like to remind buyers and buyer's agents of the following:

• Please call ahead if it says call ahead.  Don't assume all homes are vacant, they are not.  A Realtor showed up unannounced, when they were not there.  They came home to lights on, a Realtor card on the table, and a toilet paper roll on the floor of the bathroom.   Not Earth shattering, but a bit unsettling to think people were in your house while you were out without telling you.  Please just call ahead as the showing instructions ask?  And leave the place as you found it (TP back on holder, thank you very much).  What if they had of been there, doing something that maybe did not need to be interrupted?  That's their right to decide whether or not you can enter their home.
• People have pulled up outside and started walking the property.  Really?   Just walk around on the property?  Again, (yes beating a dead horse here).  Please don't assume the house is vacant just because there's a For Sale sign on it.
• Don't ask 20 questions of the sellers  in their driveway if you are not really interested.   One set of buyers monopolized 2 hours of their time, 2 days in a row, asking questions about every little detail of the house.   When I called the agent for feedback, there was ZERO interest.  Buyers -  if you are not interested in the property, please don't pepper the sellers with questions just for your edification.  That is rude.  It gets their hopes up AND is just a big waste of their time.  And agents really should know better.
• Narrow down a time or reasonable timeframe.  You are not the cable guy.   Another agent called and gave a 2 hour window.  When my seller, very politely asked her if she could narrow it down a bit more, she said "no, I think that's short enough."   !@>##$$???   My seller is a sweetheart and did not dig in her heels (most others I think would have).    If a seller tells you to narrow it down, NARROW IT DOWN.  You don't get to say no.   It's the sellers right to say when you can see the house. 
• Agents - leave a card in occupied homes.    It is a courtesy to the seller to let them know you showed up after you called.  They left their home for 2 hours for you to show it and have no way of knowing if you did if you don't leave the card.