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

I am a real estate broker and I work mainly with serious and high-end clients. My assistant recently 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 request was DENIED because they want 24 hour notice (we called at 9am for a 4pm showing)

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 6 pm)

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

I didn’t try it on the fifth time.

What does this tell a buyer? A seller (or seller’s agent) who turns down four appointments in a row, when I have a ready, willing and able buyer in hand, is simply a fool.

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

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

Food for thought.