I have seen my share of thumbs down houses over the years. It’s a sad truth, but for every summer blockbuster, there is a Real Estate Gigli. Properties that look so promising in the MLS trailer fall flat despite the star-studded cast. Granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, new carpet, manicured back yard … a quick read-through of the script tells you that the home should be a smash hit. Only when you see it on the big screen do you realize that the photos omitted the faux oak paneling throughout the entire downstairs, or the sunken conversation pit in the living room. You never know where Rosemary’s Baby may be lurking behind the pleasing marketing facade that a savvy listing agent has erected to entice showings.
Enter the Real Estate sneak preview.
Knowing all too well that I am performing preliminary recon, sellers will occasionally grill me as to my intentions when I arrive for a preview appointment. As I circumnavigate the home, they give me the unabashed hairy eyeball treatment reserved for ex-cons, Realtors, bankers, lawyers and ill-mannered guests who don’t sit on the plastic. Believe it or not, though, the preview does not merely serve as an arbiter of a buyer agent’s pass/fail verdict. It is a crash course in product awareness.
To those who would disallow Realtor previews because they anticipate the reports will discourage potential buyers from viewing the home, allow me first to offer a mild rebuke, and then to assuage your fears. First, disallowing preview appointments will have the opposite than desired effect. Like the producer of straight to DVD smut who would sooner pay a personal assistant a livable wage than allow an advance screening for critics, you are telling wily Real Estate agents that the house is a total clunker if you won’t let them in for a quick peek prior to an actual buyer showing. Thou doth protest too much, Ed Wood.
Moreover, you do you and your home a disservice by limiting Realtor previews. Salesmanship requires a deft touch. It is just not that easy to sell what one hasn’t seen. When I come through with my client, you want me to focus on the features with which I became acquainted during the preview rather than blundering about blindly. Knowing what specific hot buttons light my buyer up, all parties are best served if I have direct, first-hand knowledge of such. You know, the stuff that doesn't necessarily make it into the MLS.
Is the second bedroom close enough to the master to make a suitable nursery?
Is the kitchen open to the family room or a candidate for expansion?
Is the yard private, but not overwhelming?
Worst case scenario? The home is not a fit for my clients, and I save everyone time. Surely you don’t want any more strangers stomping around your home than absolutely necessary, especially if there is zero chance that the property will work for them. To boot, I just might remember your house as a possible fit for the next buyer I meet.
Want to sell your house? Heed the marquee:
Coming soon … to a home near you … Realtor Paul Slaybaugh!
Pretty please, let him in.
Originally posted at the Scottsdale Property Shop
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LOL...,you have such a way with words...great post with excellent message.
Paul - very creative writing to get your point across! BTW I've suggested you :0)
Great Post - I just previewed homes last week for a buyer that is flying back into town next week to view properties. I showed him homes last month and now that I know what he is looking for the previews will save us all time when he arrives.
Hi Paul~ I can't even imagine not allowing any Realtor to preview any of my listings! That would be suicide. But, not many do it, or will do it in the first place! I have suggested you too. Not that you need any help....
I think realtor previews are an essential...that is the way to encourage showings.
It funny - I get that nervous reaction from sellers too. I try to see everything I can during broker's tours, but sometimes previews have to be done - and it ultimately benefits the sellers.
Very interesting and creative!
It's an interesting phenomenon. In the markets that I put special emphasis on, I try to get out at least once a week to preview the new inventory, whether I have a buyer or not. I am often greeted at the door with skepticism, but pragmatic sellers appreciate the fact that an active member of the sales force is now more familiar with their product. Guess which homes leap to mind when we agents come in contact with buyers whose needs line up with those homes? Yep, the ones we have been able to physically see.
I always preview. However, all I'm previewing for are things that would preclude ANY buyer from buying (with advice from his agent, of course), i.e., pet damage (if you can't get by the smell. . . . ), structural defects, significant deferred maintenance or, perhaps standing water in the basement.
It's a waste of my buyer's valuable time to preview. I'll do it and show them candidates for consideration.
I've got more to say (for a change) so I'll reblog.
Thanks Paul. I wish FSBO's would also heed this advice.
I see it as a two-sided sword, Lenn, with value to both parties. I look for the deficiencies that would rule a home out as well as to acquaint myself with the features of the home. If I have a list of criteria that I know is of importance to my client (whether critical or simply a wish list component), I like to know in advance of the presence/absence of such features.
We have in our city - Realtor Tour Tuesdays - all new listings that are on the market get previewed. So as an agent if you attend this tour - you get to preview the homes - without the hassle. I've found houses this way for my buyers -
Guess the choice is up to your seller.
It is amazing the silly limitations that some listing agents put on their properties. To me they are warning signs that rough waters lie ahead if we get involved in a transaction. They need to realize that we, in a sense, are the gatekeepers to the potential buyers of their listings. Annoy or discourage us, and they are doing their sellers a big disservice and possibly not fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities. Sometimes, often here in fact, buyers are from out-of-town and we have limited time to see many properties. It is imperative that I be able to eliminate those that I AM SURE that the buyers will reject immediately. But if the agent does not want me to preview, I just move on down the road where there normally is an abundance of similar homes I can show. Luckily, in a small town like ours, our competitors work well with us.
Fabulous post Paul... for all the reasons you state, I'd want the agent to preview my home before bringing any potential buyers in. Like going to any store and asking the attendant a few questions about a product and they have no product knowledge at all...
You certainly have a way with words that gets your point across! You are right about previewing, it could be good or bad, but I also tell my sellers that it is better to not waste anyone's time. Previewing does help us as buyer's agent assess the floor plan based on the criteria that our buyers have given. And you are right, this information cannot be taken from the MLS. I deal with home finding referrals that are here for three days to buy a house. It is essential that I can get in and preview homes.
Paul, previews are great and can save a lot of time for our buyers. When the MLS only has ONE photo, the front elevation, that bothers me... a red flag for sure...
If agents are doing a good job for their clients, then they shouldn't worry about another agent previewing their listing. Great post Paul, and, thankfully featured.
Bob strikes a chord in comment #14. There can be a tendency to be too dismissive of viable properties if the agent gets overzealous in eliminating certain properties from contention. As Lenn noted, I tend to look for absolute deal breakers that would preclude me from showing the home, so as not to exclude a home that might have actually worked (buyers do surprise us in how they will depart from script if a home strikes them just right, regardless how incongruous with their original wish list). Once we start basing property exclusions on the interpretation of our clients' tastes, one must be very, very careful not to frivolously dismiss viable candidates.
Even if there are negatives, sometimes being told about them beforehand minimizes them......because our imagination is sometimes more vivid than reality. If the Realtor/previewer can give a heads up to buyer about both positives AND negatives, they might sell your house!
Sarah
I don't preview as a way to eliminate for buyers. I preview to be knowlege about the inventory for buyers. Took me a while to realize that buyers might just fall in love with the last house I thought they'd even consider.... because it doesn't have even half the stuff they insisted it HAD to have. But knowing a home when you show it is so much better than walking in for the first time and not being able to tell clients anything about the home. I try very hard to preview all listings as they come on the market in my immediate area. I admit I only do this for about a 15 miles area, but that area is my niche market and I know it well.
And sometimes the homes are just so bad, they're good. Like "Howard the Duck."
Paul,
Only time I question previewing is when my listing is due to expire in 1 week and all of a sudden 10 agents want to see it without clients in tow. Knowing full well the extension is already signed, I tell them to go right ahead...
Lol! Great post! I have been in a few houses that I really wish the Realtor had taken the time to preview . . . oh my, but they were scary! It's always a good idea to have a firm grasp of what you are trying to sell, before you actually try to sell it. ;)
I preview - I video tape and send to the buyer I have in mind. It is a lot of work and time consuming.
It is surprising what the owner (if home) will share with you.
If a seller doesn't want me to preview, I take that as saying they don't want to sell. Same way with restrictions on showing. Sure, there are special circumstances but in most cases turning away a prospective buyer or their realtor is just plain dumb - at least in this market.
The brokers' tours are the best means to do previews. Sadly, not every listing agent participates. So for those who are on the tour, not only do they get the important eyeballs from realtors who can make things happen, they also get the benefit of feedback.
Previews are essential and feedback should always be welcomed. Realtors sell houses and if you want the house sold opening the doors to as many Realtors as possible will help.
Paul - this is excellent. Previewing is a key part of my role, and I look for the good, the bad AND the ugly. I don't like wasting time, but I would much rather I go alone and end up ruling out something than taking my clients' valuable time to see a dog and feel embarrassed that we all could have used that time for something else.
I don't preview everything as that is impossible, and if I have NOT seen something beforehand I let my buyers knows. IT has never been an issue..
And sometimes the previewing is simply a drive by - I may know enough based on my clients' location requirements, that the home will simply not work (sorry we didn't mention the home fronts onto the busiest freeway around).
Jeff
Paul...
I welcome previews ... even if the property does not meet the needs of the agent's current buyer, there may be one in the future that might offer a match for the property. Good post.
Paul, I love the story line here. Nice work! I would let you in!
I can't imagine not allowing a realtor to preview a house no matter what is the intent or purpose. One more person with a potential buyer who has looked at the house....GOOD not BAD!
Paul,
Absolutely hit your mark on this one. We must be reading from the same script (and this reader appreciates the nod to Shakespeare)
Can't let me preview? Either you're lazy, hate talking to your clients (avoiding them?) or the property is a clunker, and you want us both to be embarrased at the same time. BTW Mr./Ms. Listing Agent, you don't want the same courtesy extended when you are Mr./Ms. Buyer Agent?
When you really get to know a client's tastes, wants and needs, the ability to preview streamlines the process enormously...especially for that out-of-town client with 72 hrs on the ground. Upper end buyers expect the preview, so you can show them the home, not discover it along with them.
At worst you get to know the inventory, and makes that process of advising your Buyers at the time of offer a more informed process.
Don't have time or inclination to let me preview your listing?
You just saved me time and gas.
Paul, an organized, well-staged Broker Open House eliminates the need for a separate preview, unless you catch your buyer after the Open House. I don't ask buyer's agents to run the gauntlet before arranging a preview. Not too many top pro's want to waste their time on fishing trips of futility.
Rosemary's baby? I was expecting Agnes of God.
Quirk of our market, Andrew, is that you don't see too many broker open houses. Open houses galore, but very few organized for and catering to agents specifically. Lots of tour groups (though the local MLS tours largely fell out of favor, relegating the practice to title company staged events and intra-company tours), but attendance is sporatic at best. Perhaps it's the heat or the laconic Southwestern approach to business, but you typically find only those with listings on the tour in attendance. It just seems that most agents won't bother to look at the inventory until there is an immediate need. With no reliable broker open house events and spotty tour events, it's generally up to the agent to get out there and see what he/she wants to see on his/her own. When operating as a listing agent, I get my homes on as many tour groups as possible, but it's jut not a reliable call to action within the local Realtor pop.
Preview is not a bad word in my real estate dictionary. I do them, sometimes call the listing agent or new home salesperson to better qualify the home as one that my buyers will want to see. I do believe it all goes back to qualifying your buyers so well that you are educated when lining up homes for them to view. Here in the AZ summer, it is especially helpful. You also have the knowledge when the buyer calls you up and has seen it online and you can tell them all about it.
Paul - Mostly when I preview homes it concerns buyers who relocate and only have a short time to spare. Taking tons of pictures and uploading them to Picasa for their view with comments of my finding separates the good, the ugly and the worst.
Michael - This line of your comment sums up my feelings nicely: "... buyers expect the preview, so you can show them the home, not discover it along with them." Well put.
Lesley - Exactly right.
Anna - Much obliged ;)
Richard - My feelings as well. Some agents/sellers may worry that the preview may also be recon on behalf of a neighbor with an upcoming listing, but even this sort of espionage should be tolerated gladly. Listing agents are always on the lookout for spin-off properties if a buyer lead proves not to be interested in the home they have for sale.
Jeff - Agreed on all counts. Thanks for stopping in.
EXIT Realty - Hard to sell a house if you don't let the sales force see it.
Pacita - Same thing I mentioned to Andrew applies here. I'm a big fan of the concept (broker opens), it's just not practiced much in my market. Perhaps I will try to do something about that in my own little way.
Bob - Dumb in any market, and downright moronic in this one.
Gregory - When the seller will permit it, I do the same.
Phly - I'll never forget an agent once reading me the riot act when I called her for feedback on a showing of a listing of mine. She absolutely reamed me for the deplorable condition of the home (it was priced accordingly and sold within 5k of list, but that is not particularly germane to the anecdote). In the face of such wrath, I asked why she hadn't bothered to preview the home to save herself such potential embarrassment in front of her client. She told me she was too busy. So shame on me, right?
Irene - That is amusing. Doesn't happen too much in my market at present (given the mass of homes and ample expireds), but I can easily picture that in more favorable conditions.
Richard - Lea Thompson was the only good thing about Howard the Duck.
Tammy - I do the very same thing for the planned community that is the bread and butter of my marketing efforts.
Sarah - That is a most excellent point. The devil you know is more easily dealt with than the devil you don't.
I don't usually preview if I can help it. If a property is open and I can do it, I'll stop by. I think previews can be touchy because lots of times you get a preview and then, later that week, a home down the street is listed by the agent who previewed and wasn't totally honest as to why. I don't mind previews at all if the agent is previewing for out of town buyers and trying to save them some time.
Susan - For once, we disagree slightly. I still love ya, though ;)
It's a bit easier to preview in my area of limited inventory, so broker tours work well and it is rare I don't get to see the homes as they hit the market. Previewing on your own in an appointment only area is not easy at all. It usually depends on the other agent allowing you to run through the home just before or while it is being shown. It's worth pursuing because if you can't talk about the inventory, you can't sell the product. Buyers want info. If you don't have it, they will go elsewhere to get it.
Paul, Another post right on target. Thanks!
Paul, what a great way to approach the dreaded previewing agent. Love your writing style. If it wasn't already a feature I would have clicked that little button myself! I subscribe!
Previewing is an important service a good buyer's agent should offer their clients. We like to screen homes for our buyers so we don't waste their time. There are also times when a home looks much better in person than on line and previewing will uncover a great opportunity. I don't remember reading a post on this topic in the past, so very nice job, Paul, and well-written.
It makes no sense to limit Realtor previews. Either the home will be right or it won't, but if you don't get in, you'll never know.
Paul, my first thought, when was I first saw you pop up on my subscriber list, was here we go again! A bunch of milarky thet requires a lost of patience to get through.
But on this point I actually agree with you......shocking to myself, I know!
We can spin words, we can twist words, but the bottom line is sales. Without the buyers preview I would not have had the sales I do.
I may not perceive a property to be right for a buyer and I may go through it with them with my jaw dropped, not at the listed amenities but at the undeclared deficiencies, that if I was prepared I could have covered, excluded or otherwise decorated.
Without a buyers preview I am resorted to depending on a bunch of HBSC babble to unsubstantiate a situation that I would otherwise have been totally prepared for.
You make a valid point, even though your eloquent way is an uncommon one.
Nicely written! Previews are good and should be encouraged.
I see absolutely NO distinction between an agent with or without a client viewing any of my listings -- and I let my seller-client know at the get-go. Just like an agent may be with 'non-buyers' (one never really knows), an unaccompanied agent may have a number of qualified buyer prospects who may tour the home -- or write on it subject to!
In that sense, homeowners should WELCOME agent previews. It's less wear and tear on their time and the house! 1 agent = infinite number of prospects. But only 2 feet walkin' thru! :)
Previewing is just another arrow for our quiver. Just about every time I set up an appointment with the listing office, the secretary reacts as if I threw glass of ice water thru the phone when I say "preview". It's pretty comical. Maybe I'm the only one doing it? Who knows. One thing I do know though, is that once I get passed the homeowners curiosity of why i'm there, they love to tell me everything about the home, from how long they've been there to why they're moving. Sometimes the stories are fascinating, sometimes you can tell they're trying to sell a salesperson, but always you come away with something good. Preview. You'll always learn something.
Paul,
Agents may not like it, even though it is surprising to me, but previewing is good business, and I respect agents who do it.
Paul, A great post...Feel free to pre-view any of my listings...Have a Great Weekend!
Nobody does broker opens anymore - I wish they did, makes it so easy to preview. Especially important in a foreclosure market - you really might step in something.
Also good in case you do write an offer - if the seller met you at the preview, he just might like you and receive your offer with your bright shiny face in mind.
I think Preview by a Realtor provides me (the listing agent) with a great opportunity to talk to the selling agent about features that the flyers or MLS can not list - such as that beautiful pond in the backyard, the great hiking trail just down street, the horse trails just beyond..... Then they can help me sell the house to their clients better.
I know that I have had some that invited me to preview when I didn't even have a client that was right for the property... others seem to want a set of bank statements from the buyer before allowing an appointment to show.
For some clients I HAVE to preview. Others it would be impossible to do accurately. So, I just go with it... And sometimes I find myself looking for the client that fits a cool house.
Paul - I hate it when homeowners make you feel like you are inconveniencing them because you want to preview. More need to realize that our time is valuable, we are not just driving around looking at homes for amusement. Yes sometimes I will gong the home for this particular client, but I will have a better chance of thinking of it for another client. also if I have seen a home and recognize all of its good features I can "sell" it better.
Are you kidding me? I wouldn't let that Slaybaugh guy in without witnesses.... Have you heard about what he carries around in his car?
Paul, please delete comment after review. I couldn't resist... :)
Damn you, Bastian! Hard enough to sneak up on a house with all the thump, thump, thumping coming from the trunk without you sounding the alarm.
Paul,
Previewing is key. Great to know your market and what is best for your clients. Have had some disasterous previews, that I am SO VERY HAPPY my clients were not there with me!
All the best, Michelle
Paul,
I guess the comments about office and brokers' tours and open houses speak to a different market than the one we are in: with the Phoenix Metro Area covering over a 1000 square miles, with over 3.5 million people and about 50,000 homes listed in the MLS at any given time, these tours don't really show us "the inventory". (and what about that shadow inventory of 70,000+ REOs here in the valley that we keep hearing about?)
If your listing fits my buyers preliminary description of what they want...and it might be "the house" and I haven't seen it, where is the harm in my highlighting it after you let me preview. I thought we were in the business of connecting people with homes. My bad.
The REOs and short sales alone make any chance at staying atop the market via tour or broker open an impossibility, Michael. REO agents with 70 bank listings aren't really prone to going that extra mile, especially if the bank prices them to get 10 offers the first weekend on the market. Just different practices for different markets. I'd love to be able to see virtually every home on the market via the methods other areas use, but with a metropolitan area with the numbers you mentioned (and one that has followed the sprawling growth pattern of LA), it's an impossibility.
Paul:
I love previews on my listings, it lets my sellers see activity and get good feedback from industry professionals. I also try to preview homes around a new potential listing. It all works out in the long run where everyone wins.