THE SHOWING PROCESS
S H OW I N G YO U R H O M E You are ready! You’ve cleaned, scrubbed, polished, shined, repaired and staged. You are now ready to “bring on the buyers.” However, there are a few final things you can do to maximize the showing process. Bright, well-lit houses seem more cheerful, inviting and spacious. Keep draperies and blinds open to let in light. Turn on all lamps in every room (even during the day to brighten the room). Turn on all hallway and stairwell lights. Turn on lights in closets, over countertops and cook tops. At night, turn on porch lights and outdoor lighting. Make it look lived-in. Add bowls of fresh fruit to countertops and fresh flowers to a table. Create fragrant aromas, such as fresh baked cookies, brewed coffee or cinnamon simmering on the stove. Set the table with attractive, color coordinated place mats, napkins, china, etc. Make yourself scarce during showings. If the buyer comes in with an agent, it is best to leave while the property is being shown. It is very intimidating to buyers to have the owner hover over them while they are touring the property. They don’t feel free to explore closets, cabinets and all those nooks and crannies that every serious buyer wants to inspect. Secondly, hovering over buyers often sends the wrong signals - signals that you are extremely anxious to sell, possibly resulting in a low offer. Sometimes the most important information you get from a showing is the reason a buyer doesn’t like the property. Correcting a problem or overcoming an objection starts with finding out that there is one. Take care and protect your valuables. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. Therefore, the best plan is to make certain there is no open invitation. Before your house is shown you should take care that all expensive jewelry, loose money, credit cards, blank checks and any other small valuables are put in a safe place and out of harm’s way. These measures are important throughout the listing period, but they are especially important during an open house when you may be expecting a large turnout. In these circumstances suggest that the listing agent be accompanied by someone who can assist. One agent can greet, the other can conduct the tour.
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