I guess there's a first time for everything and I certainly experienced a new situation when showing a house in Howard County last Sunday afternoon.

I had five properties lined up to show my client and when we arrived to the third house, we were running exactly 6 minutes ahead of my 2:00 p.m. appointment.  When we pulled up to the house, I saw that there was a car in the driveway and that one of the garage doors was open, so we slowly walked up to the front door and I knocked on the door (not sure if the sellers were leaving the house for the showing or if they had planned to stay there).  Since no one answered the door, I accessed the key from the lockbox and started to unlock the door.  Just then the seller opened the door, screamed at me, "You're early!  We get 10 more minutes!" and slammed the door shut right in my face.

Needless to say, I was shocked by this behavior and so was my client who suggested that we just skip this one since the lady was clearly having a bad day.  I tried to smooth things over by offering that since this house is a potential short sale the lady is probably under a lot of pressure.  We decided to drive to the end of the road, wait a few minutes and then return.  We went back to the house at 2:08 p.m., the lady was now in the driveway putting a child in the car.  My client walked up to her and said that she did not have to leave the house for him to look at it when she began screaming at him.

We reluctantly went into the house (which was very nice with an open floor plan and pleasant views).

At the end of our day, I asked my client which house he liked best and guess what?  He liked the house where the woman was rude to us.  However, he also shared that he would be reluctant to get into a contract with her due to the behavior she exhibited.  So, we're back out house hunting - and we will find another home for him.  There's a lot of inventory in his price range!

It's probably important to mention that when realtors show properties to clients, we usually line up several for them to see during one outing and schedule times according to the route that makes the most sense.  Our appointment times are approximate.  We have no way of knowing if our client will breeze through a property or linger for a while, and we do our very best to keep to our appointment times, but sometimes we might run a few minutes early or a few minutes late. 

So, what should a seller do if a realtor arrives early with her buyer and you are not quite ready for them?  Just open the door and say, "Hi.  Thanks for showing my home today.  I'm not quite ready for you.  Could you please wait about 10 minutes?"  That response will make a much nicer impression on the buyer and a more pleasant experience for everyone.

What should you do if an agent makes an appointment to show your home on short notice?  Take a look at our Quick Notice Showing Tips or request our FREE brochure, Pricing and Preparing Your Home to Sell for Top Dollar.

Wishing you sunshine everyday and the home of your dreams,
Jeri