3 Reasons Sellers Should Leave for a Showing

When a home is listed, Sellers often ask if they should leave the home when a Buyer is scheduled for a showing. As an experienced REALTOR in Central Florida who has represented hundreds of clients, my answer is always the same...YES!

Sellers often feel the need to stick around to tell the Buyer about the upgraded electrical system or some other improvement they’ve made that they think the Buyer might care about, but what they don’t realize is they may be hurting themselves rather than helping themselves by not leaving when a showing is scheduled.

Here are the 3 reasons that Sellers should leave for a showing:

1. Buyers like to look at the home at their pace, not the Sellers pace. All too often, if Sellers are home for a showing, they feel the need to give the Buyer and their REALTOR a tour of the home. Studies show that Buyers spend more time “looking” at the home when a Seller is not home, which means there is a better chance the Buyer will see what they want (and like) compared to what the Seller thinks is the best selling feature of the property.
2. When Buyers find a home they like, they want to open closets, pantries, attics and other doors in a home and they may feel uncomfortable doing so if the Seller is present. Giving Buyers the privacy to “look” only increases the odds that they will also feel comfortable talking about where to place furniture or what children will be housed in a particular bedroom.
3. Buyers are less likely to make an offer on a home where they have met the Seller. If the listing price is higher than what the Buyer is willing to offer they may not submit it for fear of offending this new person they just met. Most people find it awkward to offer someone less than what they are asking, and home buyers are no different.

Most Buyers know what they want & need in their new home and having a Seller present when they are touring it does nothing but hinder their ability to determine if the home is the right one for them!

So, my advice to Sellers is to leave the home for showings and let the property sell itself.

Happy Selling!