Understanding the transaction from the other side.
By Mary Rayner
Being a Realtor® for ten years, I was always in a position where I listed homes for sellers and made numerous appointments to view houses with buyers. I always tell my sellers to try to accept all appointments made by agents. It wasn’t until recently, when I became a seller myself that I realized how stressful this process can be!
I listed my own home, which was a 5,000-square-foot home in a desirable neighborhood. I thought at the time that it would sell quickly. Shortly after, it became evident that it was not as easy as I had hoped. I was limited to only LARGE families who needed five bedrooms, a finished room over the garage, a living room and family room, a large sunroom, a third floor bonus room, and a separate office. My home also had the master bedroom on the second floor, which was a problem since most homes in my neighborhood had first floor masters. Needless to say, with a slow market at time, it took over a year and a half to get it sold.
During that time, I would get notifications with all sorts of time frames for me to show the house. I sometimes only had a half-hour to an hour’s notice. Knowing how important it was to accept every showing…I did!
The preparation was not easy for my family or me. I wanted my house to be “show ready,” so I had to quickly straighten out all rooms (with two teenagers living in the house!), vacuum the entire two floors, spruce up the four bathrooms, make sure all trash cans were emptied, do a quick mop of the kitchen floor, kick my family out of the house, and put my two large labs in the car! Since I had the dogs, I would have to take them to a pet friendly area (like the park) or literally drive around for an entire hour. Usually at this point, I was too exhausted from all the cleaning, that I chose the latter. Turns out I went through this process SIXTY-NINE times in the year and a half!
What I learned from all of this is the value of a showing! I have learned to appreciate a seller more and have a greater respect for them and their home. There were numerous times that an agent cancelled at the last minute, showed up late, or sent feedback that said something like, “we didn’t realize that the master was on the second floor,” or “too much house for my buyer.” The square footage and the second floor master were stated in the agent’s remarks! I realize that sometimes agents do not learn this information until they get the buyer in the house, which is why we as realtors, need to find out as much information from our buyers as we can in advance. Why waste everyone’s time… including the sellers?
Now that I’ve been on the other side, I read over listings more carefully and make sure there is nothing about the house that I know will turn off my buyer. I would rather show fewer homes that meet their criteria, than show a bunch more that don’t. I also make sure that I show the house as intended, instead of allowing my buyer to pull in the driveway and change their mind. I tell my buyer that we have an appointment so we need to at least go in and do a quick look around. I give honest feedback, but I am more sensitive to the seller’s feelings and always thank them for the showing.
If you are a seller, pick the right agent, prepare your house in advance, and price it right from the get-go, so it will sell quickly and with few showings! Being on all sides of the fence, I can help you with that! I know what it takes to get your house “show ready” and I know exactly where to price it to get it SOLD quickly! I know…because I LIVED IT! Contact me to get started!
Mary Rayner is a Broker with Nest Realty Wilmington. Mary’s energy and dedication to thoroughly servicing and supporting clients comes naturally. Whether you’re looking to buy your first house, or sell your long time home, Mary makes the process enjoyable and easy. With over ten years experience in Real Estate, she will work diligently to completely satisfy her clients.