When a seller hears that their first potential buyer is coming to see
the house, they start to question themselves. To be or not to be there?
Many sellers are so eager and want to help, but in the end, it�s usually
best if the seller is not present when the potential buyer arrives.
Buyers can be harsh. A good real estate agent will tell you that many
buyers, even when they are very interested, will mention every fault the
home has. This is because they do not want to appear too excited over
the property. They may love the kitchen, but will state the color is all
wrong. The bedrooms may be perfect, however, the buyer will say there
the doors are hung the wrong way. I have heard buyers criticize about
the carpet only to have them walk out the door and say it was the
perfect shade.
You never know what a buyer may say when they are checking out the home.
The same it true with the seller. A seller may be so desperate to please
they can say anything to make the sale. This is a mistake made all too
often. It is especially true of first time sellers. They will agree to
pay for things or decrease the price before the agent can stop them.
The best thing a seller can do when the agent is showing the home is not
be there. Go out for dinner. Go for a drive. Go see a movie or an old
friend. Just do not be at the house until the whole affair is over. This
means you should leave when the agent arrives and not come back until
the time you have been told by the agent. He or she will take care of
the whole thing while you are gone. It is part of their job. One agent
actually had to take a cake out of the oven because a seller forgot
about the showing and started baking right before he got there.
If you find you have to be present when the buyer comes due to family
obligations or illness, try to stay out of the picture and earshot.
Definitely keep your thoughts to yourself. Should you overhear a
derogatory comment about your home simply ignore it. Remember the buyer
does not want to seem anxious. You may need to go into another part of
the house, or even in the back yard to keep from commenting. If this is
necessary, by all means do it.
There is actually another reason why a real estate agent may ask you to
not be present during a showing. This is because you may not accept a
good offer if you hear the buyer down grading your home. This has
happened on more than one occasion. The potential buyer started
commenting on the condition of the home. The homeowner heard this and
got aggravated. When the buyer made an offer, the seller turned it down
instantly without even a counter offer. The buyer chose another house.
The seller actually sold the house for less than the original buyer had
offered. All of this because a comment was made the seller overheard.
Real estate agents have this happen all the time. They are trying to do
the best job for you that they can. You need to let them do their job.
This is why they are the professionals with the state license.
When your agent asks that you leave when they are showing your home, do
not hesitate. Make plans to do something else that night. It can be the
best night you ever had.
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