Sophia Lin

Knock Knock is anyone Home? (I hope not)
September 10, 2008 ·  

Should a Seller be present when a Buyer is previewing their home?  As an experienced Buyer’s and Seller’s agent, I understand both sides.  I believe it is in the best interest of both the Buyer and Seller for the Seller not to be present at a showing (unless in some understandable circumstances) I like to use the simple analogy of when one goes to the store to buy a pair of pants.  We look around for what we like, we see if we could afford it, and then we try it on (the most important part, if it doesn’t fit, we don’t want it).  Now when shopping for a house the part where we try it on is when we are previewing the home (the most important part) When Buyer’s are previewing properties they want to take their time to look around.  They want the freedom to roam the house, open cabinets, peek in closets, test the water pressure, etc.  If the Seller is present the Buyer will not attempt these things for fear of being  too  intrusive, so in fact the Buyer doesn’t really get to try on those pair of pants (they don’t know if it fits or not) . This action results in a shorter unclear showing of the home. With a purchase this important, this step should not be compromised.  Buyer’s  also want to be able to express themselves either to each other or to the agent without having a Seller shadowing them around.  The Seller may be offended if the Buyer’s are sharing their opinion and thoughts aloud.  After all, to the Buyer the property is just house, and to the Seller the property is their home.

So it’s actually a “win win” if the Seller is not present because ultimately potential Buyers can preview a Sellers home in private and “really try it on for size”  and for a Seller their home will get sold a lot faster simply because a Buyer is allowed to try on the pants in a private dressing room.

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Filed Under F A Q, Local Trends, Marketing Your Home, Real Estate for Buyers and Sellers

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