Accompanied Showings Hinder Real Estate Sales
Should the listing agent for my home be at the showings?
Whether it’s customary for the seller’s agent to attend is a question many homeowners ask themselves.
For those that do not live and breathe selling Real Estate every day, you may not realize what the term “accompanied showing” means.
This little piece of Real Estate Jargon is when the buyer’s agent is required to meet the listing agent when showing a home or other property.
When I am getting ready to schedule all the properties I will show for a particular day, the last thing I want to see in the showing instructions is that the listing agent has to be present so please coordinate your schedule accordingly.
This is almost as bad as the home seller that makes it a requirement they have twenty-four hours’ notice before a Realtor can enter their home.
Thankfully, we do not have accompanied showings in the Metrowest, Massachusetts area all that frequently.
However, having the listing agent be at the showing does occur in some Massachusetts towns, including Boston and surrounding areas. The Cape also has the seller’s agent attend real estate showings.
Some areas around the country have accompanied showings, and others do not.
Why? Why accompanied showings became a standard practice is unknown, but more than likely, it all started with being a tradition.
I am glad this way of doing Real Estate business has never caught on in my neck of the woods. In most of Massachusetts, listing agents do not accompany showings.
It would make getting a house under contract far more challenging. There are many things real estate agents do. This should not be one of them.
Listing Agents Do Not SELL Homes!
Should a listing agent be at the showing of a home? NO!
Frankly, an accompanied showing is a waste of a listing agent’s time and does nothing to enhance the home sale process.
Some people have a long-standing misconception that Realtors “sell homes.” It may come as a surprise, but I have rarely ever “sold” a home in this sense of the word to any client I have ever worked with.
Homes are an emotional purchase. Buying a home is not something a Realtor talks somebody into doing.
Realtors can give advice and provide helpful information, but homes sell themselves. In the thirty-seven years that I have been selling Real Estate, there is one commonality when a buyer enters a house they like.
There is an emotional reaction, and you can see it in a person’s body language and facial reactions.
There are times when a buyer walks into a home, you can feel that it is a match, and they will end up making an offer. This scenario occurs because of human emotions and attachment. It has almost nothing to do with a sales pitch.
In all my time in real estate, I have never talked someone into buying a property!
Accompanied showings typically come at a seller’s request because they have misguided thoughts about this exercise’s purpose.
The Listing Agent is Not Necessary at a Showing
Occasionally some sellers believe that if a buyer does not notice some feature about the property and the Realtor does not point it out, it will cause the sale not to occur.
Sorry, this is not the case. Pointing out the nitty-gritty is not a difference-maker for most home buyers.
The fancy Bose sound system beveled edges on the granite counters and cherry inlay surrounding the Maple floors will not be why someone is buying a home.
Even in million-dollar homes with every imaginable feature and amenity, it is not the listing agent waving a red flag in front of a buyer’s face that will seal the deal.
Emotion sells; people do not, at least not in Real Estate.
While the need for accompanied showings is rare, they can be detrimental to the seller for some reasons. We use lockboxes here in Massachusetts for a reason! A lockbox allows a Realtor to gain property access without hindrance quickly.
The only time having a listing agent in attendance for a showing makes sense is when selling luxury real estate. If there are valuables in the open or high-end art on the wall, a seller could feel more comfortable with their agent present.
Complicated features in a million-dollar home, such as operating a home theater, could also be helpful to have the listing agent.
Accompanied Showings Create Scheduling Conflicts
When sellers require an accompanied showing, they are now adding the possibility of scheduling conflicts.
Since 2011, the number of transactions I have been involved in each year has been between 80-110. A team of people did not make these sales, just little ole me!
If I have to try and coordinate my schedule with another Realtor, there may be a missed showing for the seller. Every house showing that a seller doesn’t have is a missed opportunity!
There have been times over the years when I have not coordinated my schedule with another Realtor, and the buyer ended up purchasing something else before ever rescheduling to see the missed home.
If more Realtors educated sellers on why accompanied showings are a big mistake, instead of worrying that they won’t get the listing without complying with the seller’s demands, sellers would put themselves in a better position to make a sale.
Most Listing Agents Offer No Value at an Accompanied Showing
If sellers could be a fly on the wall and hear some of the things I have heard coming out of a listing agent’s mouth at an accompanied showing, they may think twice about the value of it. Things like “here is the kitchen.” Really?
Thank god you’re here. I might not have been able to figure that out on my own if there were no dishwasher, stove, or cabinets! Thanks for being here to guide me.
This may sound funny, but I am serious. There is no value in this.
Buyers Agents/Buyers Do Not Want The Listing Agent Present
Based on my experience, most buyers and their Realtors do not want a listing agent at a showing.
Having a listing broker hanging on your shoulder is akin to the person who goes out looking for a car and is immediately attacked in the lot by the salesman who probably has not had a sale in a week.
When a listing agent follows you around the house like a puppy dog, it creates an uncomfortable atmosphere where the buyer can not speak freely about the property with their agent.
It can become unbearable if the listing agent is giving a hard sell. Buyers despise this kind of atmosphere when they are trying to look at a property.
It may be slightly better than the seller being there and doing the same.
Have The Listing Agent Attend a 2nd Showing if You Must
As a compromise to the seller, who feels it is imperative to have an accompanied showing, I would suggest it happens if there is a 2nd showing and only if the buyer doesn’t care if the listing agent is present.
Of course, a second showing indicates that there could be more than just casual interest. The buyer’s interest level should be confirmed by speaking with the buyer’s Realtor.
Some buyers may not have a problem with the listing agent being there, especially if there are unanswered questions.
Accompanied Showings Make a Real Estate Agent Less Productive
While the advice here specifically pertains to sellers wondering if the listing agent or seller’s agent should be at a showing, the other thing rarely discussed is how accompanied showings make an agent far less productive.
The time spent at a seller’s home could be better utilized elsewhere. Top producers rarely spend time on tasks that don’t specifically make a sale materialize.
When a seller’s agent is at a showing, they are not doing other tasks that could be helping to get the rest of their properties sold. When a seller’s agent is at a showing, they drive to and from the property for countless hours. A waste of time!
Final Thoughts on Listing Agents Being at Home Showings
Remember, Real Estate is a numbers game. Selling a home is about staging properly, pricing accurately, exceptional photography, and exposure to the best real estate websites. These things will generate interest in your home.
Don’t let an accompanied showing get in the way of selling your home. If you are a seller, do not require your listing agent to be at the showing!
If the real estate agent you have picked has all the time in the world to be at all the showings for your home, there is something wrong. Top-producing real estate agents can’t be present at every house showing unless they do very little business.
Do you want an agent that produces year after year or someone who has all the time in the world to hang out at your home? Hopefully, you realize the best agents do not attend showings.
Take it from someone who knows – the listing agent should not be present for showings.
Other Real Estate Articles Worth a Look:
- Massachusetts home selling costs – see all the expenses of selling a home. Get a detailed understanding of the costs of selling a home in Massachusetts.
- Massachusetts home staging – One of the more vital tasks when selling a home is putting it in its best light before showings start. See what getting your house prepared for the market is essential.
- Do open houses work – see why an open house in the digital agent is entirely unnecessary to sell a home.
Use these additional resources to make sound decisions when selling your home.
The above Real Estate information on accompanied real estate showings was provided by Bill Gassett, a Nationally recognized leader in his field. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-625-0191. Bill has helped people move in and out of many Metrowest towns for the last 37+ Years.
Are you thinking of selling your home? I am passionate about real estate and love sharing my marketing expertise!
I service Real Estate Sales in the following Metrowest MA towns: Ashland, Bellingham, Douglas, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Whitinsville, Worcester, Upton, and Uxbridge MA.
