Selling 101: What To Expect While On The Market

Showings

Let’s face it. Showings are a pain. Having strangers come into your house and snoop around just isn’t fun. But it’s necessary so let’s figure out a way to be comfortable when showings happen.

Preparation for showings

The goal is to make the buyer feel at home during a showing so that they can envision themselves living there. To this end, let’s try to make them as comfortable as possible.

• If you can turn on lights for them, that’s fine. If you can’t, don’t worry about it.
• Make sure that they have space to enter the house and take off shoes. In winter, leave a large mat there for wet/snowy shoes and boots.
• Make sure things are picked up around the house, and that bills or personal information is not left in the open.
• Don’t leave cash or jewelry laying around the house.

Materials

Brochures inside the house should be left in a prominent place, usually the kitchen counter, or the dining room table. This makes it easy for the buyer to locate these materials. This should include items such as Truth In Housing (if needed per city), Sellers Disclosure, and any brochures.

Outside brochures, if used, should be replenished as necessary. In Minneapolis, we can go through 200 sheets per month! Please refill with about 25-50 at a time.

Let me know when supplies are running low.

After Showings

Please expect the house to be left in a different state than before showings. It’s not intentional, but when an agent is showing 8 houses at a time and rushing to the next one with 4 other people in tow, things get missed.

• Lights may be left on or off. When an agent is showing your house, it is difficult for them to turn off all the lights, especially if some of them are on lamps.
• If you have certain doors open, or certain doors closed, don’t expect them to end up in the same state. It’s hard to keep track of which doors were open or closed.
• Occasionally an agent may have difficulties locking the front door. On rare occasions, they may just plain forget. Either way, know that this can happen.
• If you have an attached garage and that’s your primary entrance to the house, be sure to either carry a house key, or put one in the garage somewhere. Inevitably the garage service door to the house will get locked. I have heard of this happening many times. Either the agent will lock it when they close the door, or the buyer may lock it.
• Also, be aware that sometimes shoes are difficult to take on and off and expect some footprints, or some leaves or some grass clippings coming in with people. This is especially true with an inspection, when several people are going in and out of the door several times. It happens.