I love showing homes. That is the most fun part of my job as a REALTOR®.
The hardest part of my job?
Scheduling those showings.
I make sure that I respond very quickly to anyone who wants to show any of my listings. I make sure that my homes are on REALTOR®-only accessible electronic lockboxes if possible, and if not, I make sure my sellers are cooperative.
(We are trying to sell a home here…)
Unfortunately, not all REALTORS® and sellers are of this belief.
In the past week I have had multiple scheduling issues, and I wanted to share.
I had buyers coming for two days, to see about 14 condos in Hollywood and Aventura. When I have that many properties in a short amount of time, I try to schedule them early, to make sure they can see as many as possible, with the most efficient use of their time. I started scheduling 8 days in advance.
*Two REALTORS® refused to schedule a week in advance. They couldn’t plan that far ahead.
*Another REALTOR® had a property listed that financing was ok (with no mention of cash), and I asked to show the condo, a week in advance. She then emailed me this:
“This condo is tenant occupied and the tenant has requested that he be notified at a minimum 24 hours in advance of any showings and I need to do the showings. The owner will accept a cash offer only and does not want to disturb his tenant unless the customer has been informed of these terms and has agreed. We are glad to show the property once your customer is informed of these conditions and has accepted them.”
*One condo was the own REALTOR®’s condo. I asked for a showing between 9:15am and 9:30am. She said that I would have to call the night before to remind her to get up.
I had a buyer coming in town from NYC, and wanted to see 7 homes in Hollywood Lakes in one morning.
*After 3 emails, 2 texts and 2 voicemails, the REALTOR® told me that the owner didn’t feel like having any showings that weekend.
*Another REALTOR® said that the listing couldn’t be shown for two weeks. (Why was it listed as available???)
I had a buyer looking locally in Pembroke Pines and Hollywood. We were going to start on Sunday at 10:30am.
*One REALTOR® said the sellers didn’t like showings before 2pm, that anything else was just too early for them on a Sunday.
I have a listing that is a cash only sale in Hollywood.
*A REALTOR® calls and wants to show it. I asked if her buyers were cash or financed. She said she didn’t know. (As a REALTOR®, you probably should know how your buyer plans to pay for a property.)
*Another REALTOR® calls to show, and I asked when she would be showing. She said she would show it the next day, so I told her it was on electronic lockbox. I always follow up on all of my showings, so I kept calling her for feedback, three days in a row, and each day she would tell me that she was going tomorrow. (REALTORS®, try and show up to your appointments.)
Sigh, it would be nice, every once in a while, if I called a REALTOR® who was excited to have me show their home, tell me some great things about the home, and make the scheduling super easy. 😉
Hey, it could happen…