8 Tips Spring Showings

 

As a Real Estate Agent, meeting new people is one of the fun parts of the job. However, when you find yourself in strangers’ homes and in the company of clients you may have only recently met, it can still help to be proactive. As the spring home market warms up with the temperatures, it’s a good time to review some of the best practices for keeping your clients, their homes, and yourself safe during showings.

1. Feature the house, not its contents. Be sure to have your sellers remove valuables before photos are snapped. Sellers should also be encouraged to lock away personal papers, computers, and photos—anything with the potential to compromise their personal information.

2. Don’t go it alone. When hosting an open house, try to have a showing partner with you. It helps ensure everyone who attends gets immediate attention, and it can help keep the seller’s home secure. When meeting clients at listings, make sure your office knows where you are and have a prearranged check-in time to ensure all is going according to plan.

3. Follow, don’t lead. It may go against your personality not to take the lead, but when showing homes, follow your client through the house. Psychologically, this enables them to discover each room for themselves, which is more meaningful than being “shown” a home. It also provides you with a better view to ensure the home and its contents remain undisturbed.

4. Use a daylight standard. Discourage viewing homes in the evening. It can make finding your way to the property more difficult, but it’s also harder for clients to really see a property, especially the yard, in the dark. Daylight also improves the probability there will be more people around in case assistance with directions and getting into or out of the property is needed.

5. Know your exits. For your safety and that of your clients, know where the exits are before going in. Homes that have been vacant awhile may contain unexpected tenants, especially those of the four-legged variety, who could be easily startled. Carrying pepper spray can come in handy in these situations as well as those where a guard dog is unintentionally surprised.

6. Check your surroundings. Depending on the neighborhood and time of day, street parking is considered a better choice than a driveway or garage. It provides a better view of the property and prevents your car from being blocked.

7. Be prepared. Carry your phone and have 911, as well as your office, on speed dial. You may also want to consider subscribing to a personal safety service. These services supply mobile devices that have a single button that enables you to immediately notify the authorities of your location should assistance be required.

8. Go with your gut

Because you are a people person, when something doesn’t feel quite right, be proactive. Trust your instincts, even if it means rescheduling a showing until you can be more comfortable with the arrangements.

While only a small fraction of showings, open houses, and client meetings are likely to go awry, knowing you have thought through a safety plan can help keep you in control.