Top 10 List of What to Expect Once Your Home is Listed for Sale in Olympia WA
Once your home is listed for sale in Olympia, WA, here are the top 10 things to expect. This is a list I give to my sellers to prepare them for what it is like to have their home on the market when they are still occupying the home.
1. Agents will call you to set up a showing appointment. If you miss their call, please call them back to confirm the showing appointment. Let the agent know if there are any showing instructions or what they should know, such as the dogs are in the garage or if someone will be home during the showing, etc.
2. Turn on the lights and leave. Set up an inviting and welcoming home for buyers. Turn on the lights, freshen up the home and leave so the buyers can take their time to view the house.
3. Agents will leave their business card letting you know they were there. Sometime agents do forget to leave their business card behind, but usually you will find their business card on an entry table or the kitchen counter.
4. Sometimes agents don’t show up. This can happen. Sometimes the clients decide at the last minute they don’t want to see the house or other issues come up preventing them from keeping the appointment, however most agents will call to let you know.
5. Agents are usually showing multiple homes. If they say they will show the house at a specific time or if they give you a 30-minute window, for example, understand they are showing multiple homes and they may not be able to stick to that time exactly. If they say they will be there at 11 AM, you may want to be out of the house by 10:45 AM.
6. Use the lockbox as a security feature. This is a rare occurrence, but if someone says they are an agent and knocks on your door to see the house without an appointment, it is up to you if you want to let them in. If you do decide to let them in, ask them to open the lockbox. If they refuse or they say they forgot their key, I would advise you not to let them in. I also advise you not to let in anyone who is not accompanied by an agent. When the lockbox is opened, I get an email stating who opened it and when.
7. Put away any valuable items. Don’t leave out cash or small, valuable items that easily can be picked up by people touring your home. An agent will ALWAYS be with the clients. Children may also be house-hunting with their parents and may be tempted to touch fragile items.
7a. Clutter decreases equity. Declutter, depersonalize and deep clean your home so it shows its best!
8. Shoes-off policy? If you have a shoes-off policy, please let me know. You can also add runners and area rugs to help minimize dirt being tracked in.
9. If a buyer’s agent contacts you with questions, please refer them to me. Sometimes buyer’s agents will call you directly to ask you questions about the property. The standard protocol is for that agent to contact me. Sometimes agents may want to try to get additional information from you that could potentially harm you in negotiations. This is rare but sometimes happens.
10. If you have any questions or if any problems arise, please let me know immediately so I can help. Having your home listed and shown can be stressful, and both I and the buyer’s agents strive to be respectful of your home and your time.