YIKES – there are going to be STRANGERS going through my Tulsa home for sale!!!
For some Tulsa home Sellers, it is disconcerting that strangers will be tromping through their Tulsa home for sale. And yes, we are marketing your Tulsa home for sale to the general public, because your close friends and family members didn’t want to buy it.
Tulsa home Sellers wonder how we will track who views their Tulsa home for sale. Remember that in the Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors, we use SUPRA lock-boxes and can track activity at our listings using the networked electronic KeyBox system from Supra. Each Realtor has a key with a unique code to access the KeyBox kept at your home and must sync it with their computer daily.
The listing Realtor then receives a report of each Realtor who accessed the keybox and this serves two purposes. If anything is missing or broken at your Tulsa home for sale, we know which Realtor was there that afternoon. We also know which Realtors to call for feedback – to say “thank you for showing our listing – do you have feedback from your buyers and are you bringing us an offer?”
YIKES – there are going to be STRANGERS going through my Tulsa home for sale!!!
What kind of showing instructions should we offer? I encourage my Sellers to make their appointments directly with the Realtor showing the property. So, your showing instructions on MLS (Multiple Listing Service) may read: “Call owner to show – one hour notice preferred.” Asking the Buyer’s Realtor to schedule through the Listing Realtor creates unnecessary steps and time wasted.
And please don’t require your Listing Realtor to be present during showings. Just as we don’t want Sellers present during showings, it is uncomfortable for the prospective Buyer and their Realtor to discuss your home when the Listing Realtor is present. Plus, that means that one more person’s schedule must be entered into the mix, adding a possibly that your property may be omitted from the day of showings.
Scheduling six or eight or ten properties to see with a Buyer can be tricky – the tour needs to be mapped out and appointments scheduled. Please don’t ask the Buyer’s Realtor is they can come at 6:30 pm instead of 5:30 pm if it is not absolutely necessary.
It’s okay to leave cookies or bottles of water out for prospective Buyers. If they’ve looked at six houses, they may welcome the refreshment and may spend more time in your home.
Tulsa home Sellers need to be as flexible and accessible as possible. If you were rushed when you went to work that morning and failed to make your bed, please don’t ask the Realtor to come another day or at a different time. I would rather your home be shown with an unmade bed and dirty dishes in the sink than not shown at all.
And what to do about the pups? If your pup is friendly and you’re confident he won’t bite, leave a note that says, “Fido welcomes you and will give you a tour.” Buyers will appreciate your humor and probably pet your pup. However, if your dog needs to be crated or removed from the property during showings, discuss how best to handle that with your Realtor.
The bottom line is that you want to convenience Realtors and prospective Buyers when your Tulsa home for sale needs to be shown. We know that it’s stressful keeping your home clean and picked up during the time that your home is on the market, but the better job you do of making your Tulsa home for sale accessible, the shorter amount of time it will be on the market!
