Showing Your Home
Information for Sellers

In order for you to find the right buyer, you will need to show your home

• Generally, real estate agents working with potential buyers will contact your agent or agent’s office to request a showing.  Your agent or office staff will in turn contact you to confirm the date and time. The buyer and their agent will arrive at your home sometime during the showing window scheduled.
• The buyers will be looking critically at your home; is this the type of home we want, do we like the floor plan, does it work for our family, is the price right, and so on.  Showings often last just a few minutes so you have a short period of time to make your home stand out!

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Be Prepared. On occasion, buyers will want to see a home with little to no notice. Keep your home prepared to show!
2. Keep it Clean. Simply keeping your home swept, vacuumed and dusted can improve your chances of creating a warm, welcoming impression to a potential buyer.
3. Leave Your Home For Showings. Most buyers will feel much less comfortable with the homeowner there for a showing. It also will be more difficult for them to envision your home as their new home.
4. Make Your Home Anonymous. Again, you want a potential buyer to see your home as their new home.  Remove family photos, collections, knick-knacks, children’s toys or other “personalized” items from view. 
5. We All Love Our Pets. But buyers may not. If possible, it is always best to remove pets from the home during showings. If you cannot remove them, be sure (for the safety of both the buyers and your pets) to keep them confined to a safe place and be sure your agent is aware of where your pets will be so they can alert the showing agent.
6. Unpleasant Odors. Pets are great friends, but they can also cause odor. Be sure to keep your litter box clean and regularly sanitize and freshen dog or cat beds and blankets. Cooking odors can also be very unpleasant for a potential buyer. Just keep in mind that you may have a showing with little notice and some cooking odors may linger.
7. Fragrances. Be sure you do not overdo sprays or fragrances. Keeping any fragrance you use very light and neutral.
8. Remove Clutter. Clean out those closets and cabinets! Rent a storage unit, hold a garage sale or donate to charity – whatever you do, get all that extra stuff out of your home. Besides, it will be less to move once you sell!
9. Curb Appeal. The outside of your home is the very first thing a buyer will see…make it shine! Keep the yard neat, trimmed and clutter-free. Keep the siding, outside windows and doors clean and free of dirt.

The Goal: To Look Like a Model Home. Ideally, you want your home to look as much like a model home as possible. Making the beds, keeping the trash emptied and not leaving dishes or laundry in plain view can help make your home look like a nicely furnished home, without people.