We are realtors and have decided to put our house on the market. Gwen has often said that realtors should sell their houses every five years just to be reminded of what our customers go through. In fact, that is pretty good advice. We have two dogs, sweet and gentle as can be, however they can scare the wits out of someone who is not a dog lover. We go to great pains to make sure when a showing is scheduled we remove the dogs from the house. And, we need to keep the house "show ready" at all times. That does not mean leaving the morning dishes in the sink. It means making the bed every morning, keep the house neat and tidy, keep your personal toiletry items out of sight - no one needs to know what brand of toothpaste you use or what kind(s) of medication you may be on.
We turn on the lights, especially if we know there is a showing scheduled. And this is a key word, "scheduled". In less than two weeks on the market, we already have had two realtors schedule showings for our home - and then not bother to let us know they weren't going to show up. This means going home, getting the dogs, loading them in the car and leaving the house for a couple hours while the dogs spent quality time in the in-laws' garage. Then we had to go get the dogs and return them to home. For nothing. It is highly unprofessional to schedule an appointment to show a home, whether it is with a realtor, a CEO, or a one bedroom shack and not have the courtesy to inform the owner that for whatever reason you cannot keep the appointment. A simple phone call will be enough and will win goodwill in the event another of your clients want to see the same property. A no show that has caused the seller significant inconvenience can cause the seller to deny future showings and that can cost you a sale. I know, I know, realtors will read that last line and say it will cost the seller a sale! Selling a home is stressful at best, and many sellers are not as savvy to the whole real estate industry as professional realtors are, so take the stress out of it and show the homeowner the professional courtesy of calling if circumstances cause you to have to cancel an appointment.
Then there is the matter of the comments on the house. Remember, you have lived in the house for years and perhaps do not see some of the "flaws" that a potential buyer sees. Take the comments as constructive criticism and if possible, correct the problem - or if it is not a real problem, don't take it personally. The buyer does not have any of the personal investment in your home that you do. It is an opportunity to make the house better and more sellable.
Remember, everything we as realtors ask our customers to do is exactly what we should be doing when the time comes to sell our homes. AND THAT INCLUDES PRICING OUR OWN HOMES COMPETITIVELY FOR THE MARKET.
Now get out there, help some people fulfill their dreams and sell some houses.
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