How Early Should Buyers Be Expected Before Appointment Time? (RE agent, negotiations, agent)
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One of my pet peeve's with selling my house is the agents that show up well before the appointment time. If a showing is set up for 1:00 pm I try to be out of the house by 12:30 pm. It burns me up to still be doing my last minute prep and gathering everything together and the agent and buyers show up at noon! I had one agent that actually parked in front of the garage door so I couldn't leave!?! (The door was up and they could see my car). I feel that if the agent is going to be an hour early that someone should call me and make sure that is ok. Otherwise they need to go get a cup of coffee somewhere. I appreciate that they might be early because they haven't liked the previous homes enough to stay in them long but geesh.
10 minutes or call! My goodness, if you have the good fortune to get all green lights racing to a showing, at least allow the distressed home seller time to USE THEIR OWN crapper!
10 minutes or call! My goodness, if you have the good fortune to get all green lights racing to a showing, at least allow the distressed home seller time to USE THEIR OWN crapper!
Ha! I am glad for your responses! I thought I was crazy as it seemed that people thought I should basically leave the house in show condition each and everyday and never be home between 9 am and 9 pm.
15 minutes should be the earliest with out a phone call. I got snagged this morning, the agent and client showed up 10 minutes early just as we were walking out the door.
My agent told me that realtors do that on purpose to try and catch the homeowners so they can ask questions.
As a seller, I'd be furious if a showing showed up more than 15 minutes ahead of schedule withoutcalling. We are sellers who wholeheartedly believe a house should be shown without the sellers present (I know others disagree). Whenever we have a showing scheduled, we strive to leave the house 15 to 30 minutes ahead, and to have the house in show-perfect condition. If an appointment were to show up 20 minutes early, they wouldn't see the best we could show.
Of course, if they show up 20 minutes early, waving a big (BIG!) check, I'm sure my anger would quickly dissipate!!!
As a buyer, if we were ever running 15 or more minutes ahead of schedule, I'd ask the agent if we could hang back a little. I'd ask this out of sympathy for the sellers, who may very well be scurrying around, making last minute adjustments. I don't want to add to their stress by showing up early.
Location: Upstate NY native, now living in Houston
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tagylyn
15 minutes should be the earliest with out a phone call. I got snagged this morning, the agent and client showed up 10 minutes early just as we were walking out the door.
My agent told me that realtors do that on purpose to try and catch the homeowners so they can ask questions.
ugh, that is horrible! I think the potential buyers should not be there early at all! If they find that they are early, they should use that as an opportunity to drive around and check out the neighborhood.
And what exactly are they going to ask? Like that ridiculous buyer from another thread that wanted to "open negotiations" by hitting the seller with "so what is the lowest offer you'd accept?"...
If a seller want to ask something about the PROPERTY that is why there are agents. If they want to ask about an offer that is something that has to be transmitted in writing.
I make appointments within a spread of an hour, for example between noon and 1:00 P.M. If we are running ahead of schedule, we stop for coffee or a soda and scout out the area.
For all any buyer's agent knows, the listing may be about to expire and the seller is looking for someone new. Arriving early, automatically disqualifies the showing agent.Treat others as you want to be treated. I really don't know what the heck is wrong with some agents that they have lost all compassion.
An appointment is just that...an appointment. There is no "window". As with all types of appointments, be on time and if you made good time and are early, as "middle-aged mom" said, stop for coffee or a soda.
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