How can you sell your home without allowing your real estate and buyers access?
Once you decide to sell your home and hire a real estate agent one of the first questions they will ask is what level of access you’ll be able to provide to potential buyers. In order to sell your home potential buyers have to be able to see it for themselves. If you aren’t able to give them access to the property then it may not be the right time for you to sell. There are several different levels of access that you can offer, we’ve put together a list of five to consider.
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Lockboxes allow immediate access
If you’ve already moved out of the home you can use a lockbox to give access without disturbing your schedule. This is typically the most common method of access and is often recommended by real estate agents. They can show the home at any time with their own code without having to interrupt your day or schedule to see the home. It also allows buyers the convenience of seeing the home as soon as they know it’s on the market.
Give them a Key
You can give a key to the real estate office to provide quick access to the home. This option works well for, because you don’t need to be present or schedule ahead of time. While it may require the agent to stop by the real estate office to pick up and return the key it allows them to show the home whenever potential buyers are ready to see it.
Pick up the Phone
This level of access is simply what it says, the real estate agent will call you to let you know that a buyer would like to see the home and that they will be heading to the home to see it. Typically the more flexible sellers prefer this type of method and usually just want to be informed that a showing is taking place.
Appointment Only
Choosing to go with appointment only can get a little tricky and can risk losing a potential sale depending on what your requirement is. Some sellers only require an hour notice while others ask for 48 hours or more, which definitely puts you at risk for missing a sale to a home that doesn’t require notice. Some buyers, if they are considering a re-location or are looking for a second home, only have a weekend or a few days to look at homes, if you have a 48 hour requirement your home won’t be on their list of homes to tour. If you’ve planned your home sale accordingly before listing it then it shouldn’t take too much time for you to get things in order and leave the home when your agent is ready to show it.
Limited Access Schedule
Limited access is also an option that could mean missing out on a great buyer. This is where you have select days or times that your home can be shown. For example only on Mondays and Tuesdays after 2:00pm; buyers want to look at homes at all times of day and having a strict time or day setting on your home means that your home isn’t very accessible to potential buyers and could mean that your home sits on the market for longer than it needs to.
The Bottom Line
If you want to sell your home it needs to be seen and often. Making your home as accessible to your agent and potential buyers as possible will go far in getting you the price you want and sell your home faster. Talk all of your options over with your agent and decide which option will be best for you.
EWM Listings and Showings
All of the agents on The Monica Betancourt Group at EWM Realty International are present at every showing to answer any questions the buyer or buyers agent may have and to offer peace of mind to the seller.