FSBO - Do you leave when a broker wants to show your home?

15 years ago

For those of you selling with FSBO or through a limited broker service are you leaving during a showing when a broker calls to show your home? I stayed for one showing and a broker called this morning to set up a showing for later this week and when she found out that I was going to be home I heard the "sigh" in her voice. So a couple of hours later I called her back to inform her that I would leave the front door un-locked for her and she seemed a little bit nicer on the phone but not too much. I am actually going to just sit with my dog in my car down the street and read or something during her 2 hour window block of time she stated she would arrive during.

Just curious to hear feedback from other sellers on how they like to show their homes in this case.

Featured Answer

lyfia

15 years ago

I did leave when the agents showed it. One of their clients bought the house. Although both these agents I did this for did it before the house was even listed.

You can buy a lock box at Lowe's that you can code. I suggest using that and giving a code instead of leaving it unlocked.

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Comments (7)

blueheron
15 years ago
We didn't sell FSBO, but our broker asked us to leave when they were showing the house. That way, people could be frank with any comments they had about it. There was a lockbox on the door for the RE agents to access the house.
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dreamywhite
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the advice. I prob don't need a lock box since I will always have my dog with me and/or the kids. So as soon as they leave I want to be able to go back "home" as quickly as possible since I have 3 small children and I am a stay at home mom.
onlygirlsmom
15 years ago
We always leave the house. We don't have a lockbox I just tell the realtor that I'll leave the front door unlocked. I usually drive down the street and park in the school parking lot until I see them arrive at the house. I then do errands/drive around or whatever. I wait until they arrive b/c then I know if I drive back by and there are no cars there I know they've already been and gone.
The only 2 times I did not leave was when the potential buyers were not w/ a realtor.
igloochic
15 years ago
I don't leave the house (I almost always FSBO) but I do let them in, tell them I will answer any questions, then get out of sight. I let them do the walk through alone. But I NEVER do that with my little guy (3 year old) tagging along. With three small children, I'd suggest a trip to anywhere with a play land :) You shouldn't show houses with small children in them anywhere.
chrisk327
15 years ago
I've been curous about this,
my house is on the market now. the RE office calls when someone wants to see the house, and if its not with my RE agent, they ask if I'm going to be there, if not, one of my agents comes and opens up for the other RE agent and buyers.

I was there for one, and it was very awkward, but I did stay. In that case we couldn't help it, we had people coming over and these buyers only could make 3PM on saturday, not 2, 1, 12 etc etc. I guess I don't want to just leave the house to someone I don't know. I'm going to try and if possible have my RE agent open up to show the house unless I'm definately going to be home.
igloochic
15 years ago
Part of the answer might be decided if you take into consideration how you feel about people poking around in your "Stuff". I haven't ever sold a house I lived in at the time it was being sold, so the stuff they poked into were just staged items. A good buyer will open all of your cabinets, look under the sinks, behind the toilets, in closets etc. How do YOU feel about being there when they do that?

You also need to be thick skinned..."This color is horrible and that sofa needed to go 20 years ago" if someone said that while you were there would that bother you? Even if you think it wouldn't show, it will if you're not thick skinned. I just took a couple of folks (realtor and purchaser) through my house I've spent significant funds to remodel to perfection. She was polite (the house was not for sale but was an example of what she could do with the one I'm selling to her) but the realtor opened closet doors, cabinets, my china closet, and was not complimentary about my lighting nor my price range if I did want to sell (which is much higher than appraised because I don't have to sell to a non-cash buyer if I don't want to). I have very thick skin, and think my house is fabulous. I love my antique lighting :) And I am not selling so I don't care what he thinks it should sell for. (They made me an offer and I laughed and said NO WAY) SO how would you feel if those two wandered through with you there???? Sometimes it's best to leave :) But again, with kids and a dog...you really MUST leave.