Roseville, Calif.- As we move in to the holidays, I am working with a number of buyers who are anxious to find and buy a home. They are reasonable people and understand this time of year is busy for everyone and have been willing to work around seller schedules but we are having a more difficult time than expected.Â
If you have your house on the market, buyers have a reasonable expectation they should be able to schedule time to see it. We are finding sellers who must not be very motivated to sell because they make it almost impossible to set up showings. Just this past weekend we could not schedule showings because of a birthday party, a wedding rehearsal, cleaning for company, a shopping trip and, “No showings until the house is cleared of valuables.”
I blame the listing agents for not preparing their clients adequately for the marketing process and if the holidays are going to make it difficult, wait until the New Year to list the house. If the house is not ready to show or the seller has higher priorities the house should not be listed.
For the most part sellers are generally hospitable when I call for a showing but too often want to adjust the showing time, such as, “Can you come later?” If you are a seller please remember most agents schedule multiple showings and schedule them along a route so we are not driving back and forth across town. Try to accommodate the time request and be prepared to respond during the initial call. Having to wait for a call back can make it difficult to complete setting up a buyer tour.
Maybe next time I will move on to the purchase agreement and buyer inspections and how some homeowners believe their house is made of gold. It is one thing to be to be attached to your house or think its pretty, but some unmannerly homeowners refuse to listen to what a licensed, trained, professional inspector has to say about their house.
