Helpful Tips for Managing Home Showings

Now that we're on the market agents will be calling you directly to schedule showings.  We have agents calling you directly to arrange showings because it helps minimize the hassle of multiple calls to arrange a home showing.

To make things easy ... we've crafted this simple "script" for your cell phone voicemail :

"Hi, This is (your name). I'm busy at the moment and can't come to the phone. If you're a REALTOR calling about showing (my/our home), please leave your name, your office name and phone number, and what time you'll be stopping by. I'll call you IF it's not a good time...otherwise feel free to stop by and make yourself at home.  If you need cancel your appointment or arrange another time, call (me/us) and let (me/us) know. Thanks and have a great day."

the path of least resistance

We give specific showing instructions in the MLS for agents to call you, leave a message and feel comfortable showing at the time they indicated UNLESS they hear back from you saying it's NOT a good time.  That makes it simple and prevents you from having to return calls and manage the process actively.  We have agents calling you directly to arrange showings because it's the "path of least resistance" and voicemail script like the one above goes a long way to make this a less intrusive process and easy to manage.

a few details to keep in mind

Scheduled showings can get screwy ... even with the best agents.   They can't say *exactly* when they'll be at your home so they generally offer a "window" of time ... kinda like the cable guy.  Be prepared to be a little annoyed and even downright angry when they don't show up on time because it happens.  And when it does ... remember it's not always the agent's fault.

Sometimes the traffic is bad.  Sometimes the weather sucks.  Sometimes the buyer is late to get started or they stay longer at one house throwing the schedule off.  Sometimes they take the scenic route.  And sometimes a buyer changes direction midstream--decide they don't want to look in a certain neighborhood or don't want to look at anymore homes that day.  And when these things happen ... you might not be the first person they call.  Yeah ... it's rude, I know ... but it's all part of selling.  And it's important to take it in stride. 

It won't last forever, I promise.

Oh, and if you seem to have any "no shows" or cancellations ... let us know so we can switch things up a bit and make it right.

it's "showtime"

As you know we have 37 marketing strategies and mindsets that help us sell your home; however, experience shows that only about 15 percent of the time does the listing team actually sell their own listing. Now, please know that nothing would please us more than selling your home to a buyer we're working with but that’s not very likely. Our number one responsibility is not to sell your home but to cause your home to sell. So when other associates and agents from other firms are showing your home, you can feel good because you’ll know that we’re doing our job.

your friends in real estate,

p.s. feel comfortable calling with question or concerns about the showing process.  You know the number.