Denials and Inflexibility Equals Lost Opportunities for You !
Yesterday, Stephanie and I were out doing showings to two separate buyers. I was showing condos and townhomes up and down the river in Pier 3, Pier 7 and Dockside and a couple of townhomes. Stephanie was showing properties in Northern Liberties and Fishtown.
As listing agents, we stress to our sellers the importance of ease of access for buyers agent to get in and how important it is 
to be accommodating. It is also essential for an office to have a professional showing appointment center such as E-Showings to manage it all. The ability to track showings, ask for feedback, create showing and feedback reports, all digitally is wonderful - the sellers love it. And of course the listing agents can leverage their time instead of making and scheduling appointments.
In any event, I was shocked when 4 of my appointments at Pier 3 and Pier 7 were denied. Denied ?? These are $400,000 condos that have been on the market for awhile ??? Are the listing agents even watching this ? Stepping in to see that they have been denied ? What is the seller thinking ? Turns out that one was tenant occupied, but the tenant denied it anyway even though the tenant received 24 hours notice. For one of the other listings the showing instruction was 48 hours notice and the listing agent has to be there ! What !!! Who made that decision ??? Sounds like a prison or a puzzle to get into that listing. No thanks CB Realty. Maybe trying to sell it on their own because they make it so difficult to get into ? Why in the world would the listing agent need to be there anyway ? If I showed up at all of my listings for showings, I would never get anything done.
The big picture is that for each of these places we did not get into is that the seller lost their chance to sell their condo that day. That is the shame. Sellers need to be aggressive and jump for the opportunity for the showing, that is if they want to sell their property, and they need to hire an agent that will set up the showings for ease of access and hopefully have a professional appointment center like e-showings.
Stephanie had a property where she could not get in for a second time as the agent had left her a message the day of the showing that she left a key for the property in a lockbox in a different neighborhood. At least it was in a lockbox that makes it easier but it was not at the property. She also had another showing where she got to the property and the owner exclaimed "The showing cannot begin until my Realtor gets here ! ". So they waited at this overpriced property for 15 minutes for whatever reason for the Realtor to get there who when he arrives stated "This is how the showing will occur. We will begin on the 2nd floor." Mind you, this is a basic 1,200 square feet Fishtown / Northern Liberties rowhome that needs updating, not a new construction property or complex that needs the accompaniment of another agent. A waste of time that held up the process.... I think our buyer wanted to get out of there before we could even get in.
On another note, back to my showings, my last showing that day. I arrived at the property at 11:40. The seller looked at me sternly. I felt like I was in back in grade school when she said "You are late ! You were suppose to be here by 11:30 !!!" . Oh boy, I thought. I asked "Well, can I still show it ?". The buyer did not really care, where other buyers would have thought let me get the hell out of here. Sellers have to remember how they present themselves as their demeanor is a representation of the whole process. Sellers also have to realize the timing of showings is not a science, sometimes buyers like to linger. And if they are lingering at your property, I bet you would change your tone.
Let me wrap it up...
The important thing to remember is to go with the flow. Make the showings easily accessible. Try not to be rigid. Hire an agent that uses a professional showings desk and does not do the scheduling themselves. Too many unreturned calls and showings will get lost. I cannot tell you how many listings we have taken over from sellers who have said I wish my prior agent would have used that appointment desk or I wish my prior agent would have sent that feedback report or even more importantly, I wish my prior agent would have SOLD THE PROPERTY !!!!
Well, if they would have gotten more people in the property, maybe they would have !!!!
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