So you’ve decided to sell your house. You’ve hired a real estate professional to help you with the entire process and they have asked you specific questions regarding showing times and how willing you are to make the house available. With the exception of truly inappropriate times, this "availability" is key.  Even curbside calls, as painful as they are, play a huge role....this is crucial.

Let's take a step back. There are four elements to a quality listing. At the top of the list is Access, followed by Condition, Financing and Price.  These facts are tried and true. There are also many levels of access that you could provide to your agent to be able to show your home to get it to SOLD faster than your competition. 

Here are five levels of access that you could provide to make selling easier and faster:

1. Lockbox On the Door – this allows buyers the ability to see the home as soon as they are aware of the listing, or at their convenience. This is a staple in my area and electronic boxes are mandatory here to keep a record of who is entering.
2. Providing a Key to the Home – Long gone are the days of leaving a key at the office. Have an extra key made immediately so the agent can place in the lockbox pronto. Most showings happen the first couple of days. Have that key ready!
3. Open Access with a Phone Call – allow a showing with just a phone call’s notice. You should have the house tidy anyways; It's the rules..... Many houses are shown when an agent is at the curb. This is part of the business.
4. Showing notices (example: 24 Hour Notice) – Many out-of-town/state buyers and relocation buyers visit an area they would like to move to and only have the weekend to view homes. Ditch the 24hr or 48hr notice rule. It's just too restrictive. Selling your house is an inconvenience, no doubt about it, so stay focused on the result.
5. Limited Access (example: the home is only available on Mondays or Tuesdays at 2pm or for only a couple of hours a day) - This is the most difficult way to be able to show your house to potential buyers.  Often times agents have other homes in the area they are showing as well and are trying to make a "tour". If your home can't make it in the time alloted for their tour, you'll be skipped. Yes, you will. 

In a competitive marketplace, access can make or break your ability to get the price you are looking for, or even sell your house at all.  Trust me. Agents love showing a house with no tight restrictions. It makes our job much easier which allows for more buyers to come through your door.