What sellers really go through

Putting your own home on the market can be an eye opener.

by Louise Hull   What an ordeal! I am selling a house for the first time in 13 years. Well, let me clarify: I am selling a house I own and live in for the first time in 13 years. I honestly believe every REALTOR® should be required to sell her own home as part of mandatory continuing education. So far, my house has been on the market for two weeks, and every showing is an enlightening experience.

I keep thinking about how many times I have "scolded" my sellers for having their homes in less-than-pristine condition. And I keep hearing the words of real estate trainer Barb Schwartz: "The way you live in a house and the way you sell a house are two different things." Absolutely. "If you can smell it, we can’t sell it." Of course not!

I know how to sell a house–in theory. Here’s the plan. My MLS listing states that agents must have an appointment to show. I’m not trying to be difficult, but when you have two cats, a 100-pound golden retriever, and a St. Bernard that tops 200 pounds ... well, you must have an appointment to show.

No mention of a lockbox. There actually is a lockbox on my door, but I only want to tell an agent it’s there after the agent calls me. Think I’m being paranoid? Week after week we hear horror stories in our MLS meetings about agents who don’t follow MLS instructions: lights left on, doors left unlocked, showings without appointments, etc., etc. Until I was a seller myself, I thought the complaints were exaggerations. Boy, was I mistaken!

The call-for-appointment instructions list my cell phone number. This week, I was on an important business call and received the call-waiting tone three times but could not answer. By the time I was free 15 minutes later, an agent had called my office twice, reprimanding our administrative assistant about not being able to sell a house that she couldn’t show. She had planned to give me a whole 30 minutes notice, so my 15-minute delay was critical. What’s wrong with this picture?

If these agents only knew what I go through to get this property ready for showings. Let me elaborate: 1) Turn on all lights. 2) Open all blinds. 3) Get the cat carrier from the garage. 4) Catch the cats. (The cats quickly learned that steps one through three are a signal to run and hide.) 5) Place the kitty litter box in the garage under a blanket and spray Lysol in the bathroom. 6) Start the air-conditioning in the car. 7) Place the cats on the front passenger seat. 8) Put the golden retriever in the back seat with the side window down so he will not get carsick. 9) Load the St. Bernard into the cargo hold and close the hatch without squashing him. 10) Leave five minutes before the scheduled showing time and drive the animals around town until there are no cars in my driveway.

Now picture an agent and buyers coming with no notice. Or being just 10 minutes early. Ten minutes may not be much to an agent but it can be agony for a seller. I bet I’m not the only seller troubled by this process.

I am beginning to wonder if it’s worth it. Perhaps I’ll just leave everything–animals and all–as is and hope for the best.

Or perhaps agents in our MLS will try to put themselves in the seller’s shoes and become more considerate. And more professional. They will always call in advance to schedule showings. They will lock every door, turn off every light. They will be nice to administrative assistants. And to other REALTORS®. And even to sellers who want them to make appointments before showing the property.

Louise Hull, ABR, CRB, CRS, GRI, is broker/owner of Cornerstone Properties in Victoria. She is a TREC commissioner and served as TAR chairman of the board in 2000. You can e-mail her at louise@louisehull.com.

Photo © Artville.

home   current issue    top 10    resources 

discussions   contact us   search

Buyers & sellers, visit www.texasrealestate.com.
REALTORS®, visit www.texasrealtors.com.