Info for Sellers: Availability
Billy Buyer is serious about buying a new home. After years of saving, he has the money he needs, he’s received his mortgage approval. He’s also decided what kind of home he wants and where he wants it, and he’s ready to go. Billy is currently renting a home. His lease expires in three months and his goal is to be living in his new home by then. Because Billy is relocating from an hour and a half away, he only has a few Saturday mornings available to see homes. Of course, he wants to cram in as many showings as he can.
We’ve narrowed his wish list to about a dozen “must-sees” and several other “could-see-if-time-permits” homes. Your house is one of the “must-sees.” So I start planning the tour of homes for the first of our two Saturdays. I make the calls to get appointments. When I get to your home, your listing agent informs me that you don’t allow showings on Saturdays, only on Sundays between 2-4. Ugh, my client can’t come on a Sunday afternoon. So I ask your agent if you’ll make an exception. She gets back to me and says, no, no exceptions allowed.
Your home might have been the one for Billy Buyer. He’s ready, willing and able. But since he can’t get in to see the home, it’s crossed off the list. Two weeks later, he’s picked from the rest of the homes he wanted to see, he’s made an offer, and negotiations are complete. The house he made an offer on could have been yours.
Easy access is critical
One way to make sure your home is sold is to allow access to it as often as possible. If there is a special event or some other reason why a few hours here or there are not available for showings, then of course those hours should be blocked out. But for the most part, buyers need to be able to see your home during reasonable hours on most days with as little notice as possible. Weekends and evenings are the times most buyers are able to home shop, so those times are most critical. Unfortunately, if your home cannot be seen, there are definitely potential buyers who simply won’t get the opportunity to see how great your home might be for them.
I know Billy Buyer would have loved your home. If only he had been able to see it.