Don’t turn down showings if you really want to sell your house

I am a real estate broker and work mainly with serious and high-end clients. Recently, my assistant called an agent four times trying to get an appointment for a particular house that is for sale. The morning phone calls went like this:

1. Today’s application was DENIED because they want a 24 hour notice (we call at 9am for a 4pm visit)

2. Request for tomorrow DENIED because it must be after 5.

3. Tomorrow’s request was DENIED because it must be after 6. (Buyer only has a babysitter at home until 6pm)

4. Friday’s request for any time before 12 noon was DENIED because the vendor must be home to care for the large household dogs.

I didn’t try the fifth time.

What does this tell a buyer? A seller (or seller’s agent) who denies four appointments in a row, when I have a ready, willing and able buyer on hand, is just plain dumb.

The best thing to do when your home is on the market is to make it SHOW READY. Keep it clean and tidy to the best of your ability at all times, and don’t be averse to showing it off.

This seller lost today. The buyer was put off because we couldn’t get in. In fact, the image conveyed by the seller (or agent) is that this house is difficult to show, so he imagines how difficult it will be if the buyer LIKES it and wants to make an offer. If the salesperson is so difficult in scheduling the visit, how difficult will it be to negotiate and manage the deal?

Food for thought.