MLS: “Seller Requests Minimum of 24 Hours Notice for All Showings”
Aren’t unusual showing instructions a pain?
That’s especially the case when a busy prospective Buyer — or two of them, if it’s a couple — and their Realtor are trying to see not just 1 home, but 6-8 in a row, perhaps in different parts of town.
Upside: Chilling Effect
Balancing the hassle factor, however, are these two pluses:
One. Restrictive showing instructions chill Buyer interest, if only a little.
Especially in a (too) fast-moving Seller’s market . . . that’s a good thing (as the expression goes).
Two. It allows the Buyer’s agent to connect with the listing agent — another plus in a Seller’s market.
Building Rapport + Gathering Info
Whenever there’s restricted access to a home, there’s invariably a back story: the home is rented; the Seller has small children; the Seller works a grave yard shift, and is home sleeping during the day.
Whatever the explanation, finding out what it is not only gives the Buyer a valuable “heads up” (rentals are typically sold with a “Seller’s Disclosure Alternatives,” not a standard Seller Disclosure, so the inspection looms larger), but can help forge a connection with the listing agent that can be critical putting together a deal, especially if there are multiple offers.
Exhibit A: the home I showed recently that required 24-48 hours advance notice because, the listing agent confided, the home was messy, and the owner needed extra lead time to get the home showing-ready.
My client didn’t end up buying the home (which, by the way, showed impeccably), but the rapport I established commiserating with the listing agent would have been a big head start if my client had had interest.
P.S.: A good way to cement the connection for future purposes is to give good, prompt showing feedback — which I did!
See also, “Showing Instructions: the Good, the Bad, and the (Very) Ugly“; and “Showing Instructions: Dog Will Be in Kennel. Friendly.”
