What Are Accompanied Showings With The Listing Agent Present?
Accompanied showings are when the listing agent meets the buyer and their agent at a house. In most places, unaccompanied showings are standard.
One popular question among potential home sellers is whether the listing agent should attend the showing. The answer is NO!
I rarely see an accompanying showing in the Metrowest, Massachusetts, area where I live. In Boston and Cape Cod, it is much more commonplace. Some places around the country have them, and others don’t.
Why? Who knows, but it likely has to do with tradition. I am glad the policy has never caught on in my area.
Frankly, accompanied showings waste a listing agent’s time and do nothing to facilitate a sale.
Some folks have a long-standing misconception that Realtors “sell homes.” Folks, I have rarely ever “sold” a home to anyone in this sense of the word. Homes are an emotional purchase. They are not something a Realtor talks somebody into buying. Realtors can be guides and give advice, but homes sell themselves.
Sometimes, when a buyer walks into a home, you can feel that it is perfect for them, and they will purchase it. This happens because of human emotion and attachment. It has very little to do with a sales pitch.
In thirty-eight years, I have never talked someone into buying a home! Some sellers have misguided thoughts about the purpose of an accompanying showing. For some reason, people think if a buyer does not notice some feature about the home and it’s not pointed out, it will prevent the sale. I’m sorry, but this is not the case. Pointing out the nitty-gritty is not a difference-maker to most buyers.
The fancy security system, beveled edges on the granite counters, and cherry inlay on the dining room floor will not be the reason for someone buying a home. Even in million-dollar homes that have every conceivable feature and amenity, a listing agent waving a red flag in front of a buyer’s face is not going to 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 several reasons. We use lockboxes here in Massachusetts for a reason! A lockbox allows a Realtor to easily access a property without hindrance. One of the best tips for selling a home is avoiding them.
Let’s examine why having the listing agent at a home viewing is a mistake. If you are a first-time seller, it will be imperative to understand.
Significant Reasons to Skip A Listing Agent Accompanying Showings
- Buyers will feel uneasy with the seller’s agent present
- Potential buyers avoid speaking freely
- Showings often become rushed instead of an enjoyable experience
- Most importantly, they often create scheduling conflicts with more parties involved
- Aggressive agents oversell the property
Having a Pushy Listing Agent at Home Showings Doesn’t Help Sales!
The Importance of Buyer Comfort and Privacy
The presence of a listing agent can significantly hinder the buyers’ ability to envision themselves in the home. This discomfort can lead to rushed viewings and a reluctance to discuss potential concerns openly with their agent. Have you ever been in a store, and the moment you get there, a salesperson jumps all over you? How does this make you feel?
For most, it is a complete turnoff. When you’re selling a home, it is no different. Nobody wants a pushy real estate agent hovering during a showing. Private showings in your home selling strategy are more desirable with potential buyers. It allows them to envision their future in the property more efficiently.
I always explain to my seller clients that buying a home is emotional and that creating a welcoming environment is critical.
A buyer’s agent is crucial in facilitating a smooth home viewing experience. They make accompanied showings unnecessary.
Accompanied Showings Creates Scheduling Conflicts
When a seller requires an accompanying showing, they add the possibility of scheduling conflicts.
I, for one, am a very busy Realtor. If I have to try to coordinate my schedule with another agent, there may be a missed showing for the seller. A missed showing is a missed opportunity!
Over the years, there have been times when I have been unable to work my schedule around another agent, and the buyer purchased something else before ever rescheduling to see the missed home.
If more Realtors educated their clients 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 be much better off.
I would love it if sellers placed a recorder in their home to hear what some listing agents say as buyers walk from room to room. I am not kidding! Things like “here is the kitchen”—really? I never would have known if there was no dishwasher, stove, or cabinets. Thanks for being here to guide me.
This may sound funny, but I am being completely serious. There is no value in this.
Buyers and Their Agents Don’t Like Them
Based on my experience, most buyers and their Realtors do not want a listing agent at a showing.
It creates an uncomfortable atmosphere where the buyer can not speak freely about the property with their agent. The situation can become unbearable if the listing agent gives a hard sell. Buyers hate this. It is only slightly better than the seller being there and following you around like a puppy dog.
Kevin Vitali of Real Broker MA shared a recent experience I can sympathize with as it has happened to me, too.
“Bill, I was at a viewing accompanied by the listing agent, and the buyers rushed through the house because they felt uncomfortable. The buyer wanted to ask me questions but felt uneasy with the seller’s agent around us. I often have to explain how detrimental this can be to the selling process to the occasional client who asks for them.”
A Compromise For Home Sellers
As a great compromise to some sellers who want accompanied showings, I suggest it be done if there is a second showing and only if the buyer does not mind. A second showing, of course, indicates that there could be more than just casual interest. The interest level can usually be confirmed by speaking with the buyer’s agent.
At this point, some buyers may not have a problem with the listing agent being there, especially if they have unanswered questions.
Conclusion
Remember, Real Estate is a numbers game. Don’t let an accompanying showing get in the way of selling your home. Missed showings are missed opportunities.
We’ve personally been trying to do this in the RP, with most of the properties I try to sell are around an hour or two away from me, it’s a big hassle and waste of time showing them the place when really, there isn’t much I can add to the conversation except as you said.. “here’s the kitchen”. I only accompany the buyer if they are ready to negotiate, but on the first few visits to the property, I rarely go with them.This is a very good article, keep on writing! =)
Well said Bill!
I totally agree – the last person most buyers and their agent want to see is the listing agent. As a buyer agent, the worst is when the listing agent starts talking to my client about how they live in the neighborhood, who all the neighbors are, what they do for work, number of kids and their ages… And, then they tell the buyer to feel free to ask “them” if they need more information. I’ve had more accompanying agents think they were “selling” all the great things about the area, when in fact, they were talking about everything the buyer didn’t want!
Philippines – Thanks for dropping in and sharing your opinion about accompanied showings. It is interesting that in your country you share the same feelings about them.
Kathy – Thanks:)
Marilyn – Getting an agent that has diarrhea of the mouth is the worst. There are times when Realtors can be their own worst enemies. I know exactly what you are talking about when you mention agents talking about things that have no importance to the particular buyer they are talking to. It can be maddening!
Some parts of the world are so used to it, I think they don’t realize how bad it can be for the buyer depending on the listing agent. Pushy listing agent. Dumb listing agent. Let the buyer hate the property for the kitchen, the colors or anything about the property. Why make the buyer hate the property because of the listing agent’s manner of speaking, a listing agent who is perceived by the buyer as talking down to them, or even something as simple as the after shave or perfume the listing agent wears. I kind of vaguely remember a few high priced “accompanied showings” in the first Ohio market I worked in back in the late, 1980s. We were running around picking up keys, the agent showing the home to a buyer was a sub agent of the seller. I think with buyers agency the practice should have died long ago. A listing agent trying to sell to a buyer can be a total turn off to them. Their job is to market the property to buyers and buyer’s agents.
Hi Bill, I’ve enjoyed your writings for some time via other outlets such as Active Rain, but this is my first time here on this site. Great Blog! You raise a great point. Even on the commercial side of the business where unaccompanied showings are the exception and the listing agent’s presence does add value for answering specific questions on occasion, I can tell you that significant amounts of time could be saved and more properties shown, if not for the endless juggling of logistics required in order to sync the client’s schedule with each of the listing agents’! Hmmmnn, wonder who I could speak to about this?
Keep up the great work. ~Mike
Mike thanks for dropping in and presenting your opinion from the commercial side of things. I would imagine that homes are probably much more an emotional decision than someone looking at commercial or business properties. My guess would be that a decision surrounding these kinds of properties would be analytically based. I appreciate the compliments on the article!
I had to click & read this one. It is so much easier for me, as a buyer’s agent, to schedule if I am not working around the listing agent’s schedule. I have had clients who were unable to see one home or another just go on to the next & never go back. Of course, there are often questions that the clients have so the listing agent then does need to be responsive to email or phone questions, but that should be a given. I like the idea of having the listing agent at the second showing if possible just to answer questions.
Thankfully, we rarely see this in the Phoenix area. I’ve only seen it for a couple of high end ($1 Million+) homes. We’re in the business of getting a Buyer to say “YES” and this just adds 2 or more chances for them to say “no” to the house. First, because you now have to get a hold of the listing agent & figure out a workable time & your example of not being able to make it work on one house killed its chance.
Secondly as you mention the agent is an unknown member of the ‘other side’ which intrudes on the Buyer as they see the house. Minor discomfort is the smallest effect of their presence. Bad day/bad personality will chase buyer out the door.
There just isn’t a good reason for a listing agent to be present inside with the buyers and their agent.
Eric some seller’s do not realize how challenging it can be to make two Realtors schedules coordinate. When you are out showing multiple homes in different towns it makes it nearly impossible sometimes to make it work. Beyond the scheduling aspect, homes are not “sold” in the sense that some seller’s think. A home is an emotional purchase. I know I have never talked someone into buying a home and never would!
It IS the custom in some places – but still the wrong thing to do. Sellers who insist are completely misguided.
Loved your comment about “here is the kitchen.” Back when I was still in real estate, I knew an agent who would do that on agent tours.
Uhhh… Yeah Vickie, we can see that!
Marte I often wonder how these Real Estate customs got started and why Realtors in those areas do not change the customs! We both know there is very little gained from someone pointing out the obvious.
There are so many issues with accompanied showings…. The biggies are having every parties schedules sync and how uncomfortable the buyers can be when you introduce a party they do not know and trust.