Can you SELL a Home without seeing the inside?

HI, Scott...congratulations on the feature. 

I've gotten loaded down with BPOs and two good leads off of AR. I'm going to be busy for the next few days. 

Scott - Although what happened in your situation is unacceptable, I have seen and heard of many investors buying homes sight unseen. Back in 2006-2007, investors were buying 6-7 new construction homes in subdivisions without even stepping in the state, and others were completely relying on their real estate agent to get them a good deal. With 20 agents lined up to show a property within an hour of the home getting listed, and homes increasing in value by thousands of dollars a day, many investors felt they didn't have the time to actually see what they were buying. They just knew that whatever they bought the home for, it would be worth a lot more the next day.

Well, we all know how that ended.

Scott Godzyk strange - my today's question is related to this (at least for my buyers, I have seen the home!)

However, it is must for a listing agent to see the home! Disclosures, Disclosures, Disclosures! (though may not be true for foreclosures,  I guess.)

That's the most unnecessary risk that I have ever heard of. Everything needs a thorough going over before sale just based on common sense alone.

I know! You're totally right! Disclosure is 90% of trust when selling the home! I just can't see moving forward without full disclosure of as much as humanly possible. Praful Thakkar

I have had to give "the talk" to owners who will be away in snowy weather. Have your snow shoveler under contract! Had to laugh today when I was previewing a house and the Christmas decorations were still up. But someone was there and had turned the lights on, so it's not like they were away. But I refused to go into the part of the house that was about 30 degrees--BRRR!

Scott Godzyk  - It is obviously far easier to sell a home if we've seen it.  Not only can we then describe and discuss it knowledgeably but also make necessary suggestions.

I know an agent( via FB) from OH, who works only with short sales. She almost never visits the houses she is selling. She has usually 30-40 houses for sale.

I sold a home this past summer on a street where the average home price is $750,000. The present home was not in good shape and there was a tenant. In speaking with the owner we both agreed that it is a "building lot" with whoever buys the place will knock it down. We recommended listing at $720,000, as is, with no showings of the inside of the property.

It sold in two days for $826,000 with no one seeing the inside of the house.

Albeit this is a different scenario than what you are describing.

Scott - The days of buying "sight unseen" are long gone in general, albeit there are probably pockets of real estate here and there where this still occurs.  I marvel at how many posts I read where such basic common sense things (such as being able to actually gain access to a home!) are written about.

Scott, this is not accceptable, I too wonder if the sellers know what's going on with their property. If you can't show it, you can't sell it!

You can but not a good idea and possible loss of licence and money in lawsuit.  Why would a professiobal do that? They wouldnt! However many buyers use pics and video to purchase.

This is another case where I'm glad to see enough common sense in the comments. Interiors are vital to the soulfulness of a home and I'm glad to see them not being taken for granted. Great stuff!

Michael, I hadn't thought about lawsuits that much but he make perfect sense and you put me on to something now, so thanks! Michael Blue

Utmost care!!! Just the 1st provision that jumps out at me. You haven't used this care without seeing or having first hand product knowledge. Let alone the agents visual inspection.  Only if it were co brokered and my partner had inspected the property and I was out of town sick somewhere!

Well that is a hard one.  I suppose you could make an offer subject to inspection and having a buyer on the line might motivate them.

I was speaking to an agent last night who's client will not even let her in to find out why folks are walking out right after they walk in. I told her she has a much bigger issue then it not showing well. 

We don't have the snow problem here near Santa Cruz Ca, but still, sellers have to find ways to get their tenants to cooperate with showings. When the sellers don't work this out in advance of listing their home, they are facing a probable long listing and eventual price reduction. Yet I see listings like this all the time.

It is a bit of a treat going back and reading some of Active Rains best archives  like this one. Should be shared again.