You’ve done the work, you’ve listed your home, you’ve got it “show ready,” and now you’ve gotten a call that tells you buyers are coming to look.

What should you do? Get out of the house!

Hopefully, the caller has given you a little time to do a last minute check to see that all is in order.

Now it’s time to grab the kids and the dog and get gone until they’ve had time to have a good look around. Go out for ice cream – or do the weekly grocery shopping – or go visit a friend.

If you come back and find they’re still there, that’s a good sign. So don’t interrupt or hurry them. Instead, park down the street and wait until they leave before returning to the house.

Why?
Because it’s in your best interests to be gone. First, buyers are uncomfortable when a homeowner is present. They’re nervous to look in the closets or cupboards. They won’t stand in the living room and discuss whether their furniture would fit. They tend not to linger on the back deck to enjoy the view. Instead, most of them will do a quick walk through and get going.

The second reason is that the buyers or their agent could engage you in conversation, and you could potentially damage your bargaining position without even knowing you did it. If you answer a friendly question like “Why are you selling?” you could accidentally let them know that you’re anxious to sell, and may be willing to accept a low offer.

If you want to meet your buyers and become friends after the sale is closed – that’s awesome. We all need more friends. But until that time, it’s best if you and any potential buyers don’t talk.

Every agent has stories about sales that fell apart or just didn’t happen simply because buyers and sellers got into conversation. If you like, I’ll be happy to tell you some of mine…