Showing The Property

If the marketing efforts work, the next step is showing the home to prospective buyers. If you hired a Realtor, they will call you to schedule the appointment. In most cases they will give 24 hours notice however sometimes this is not possible. If you need to accommodate a short notice showing, practice a Two-Minute Drill. 

Print the following checklist and use as a guide to preparing your home for marketing.

In this step, the biggest mistake made by sellers is to follow the buyers through the home. In most instances, it is best if the seller is not in the property during showings. Many buyers feel intimidated if the seller is present. Let the Realtor show the property. If you are selling "By Owner", you will need to be there. When showing the property, try to have the home "tell a story". Another technique is to "save the best for last and show it first". To do this, you need to know what motivated the buyer to call. If they called because the ad mentioned a 3 car garage, begin the showing by mentioning the garage and then proceed with the showing and ending up in the garage. Make sense?

After the home is shown, ask your Realtor for feedback. This feedback may bring a condition to light that was previously overlooked. If you felt the stained carpet was not an issue but received feedback from 3 buyers concerning the stains, cleaning may be in order.

Click here for tips on staging your home for showings.

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