Is the (Home) Buyer Serious? Here's One Clue

Requesting a Sat. Showing on Wed.

I don't have any statistics backing me up, but it sure seems like there's a relationship between how far in advance a showing is booked, and how serious the Buyer is.

The explanation?

Here's my theory:

Serious buyers are methodical, and methodical Buyers carefully plan what they want to see.

Which is smart: the best way to learn the market is to see a succession of homes at the same price point, in the same general location, all in a row.

That takes a little more advance planning.

It's also the case, that, in late Fall in Minnesota, the market is slower-moving.

So you can set up showings for the weekend several days in advance.

The bottom line?

As a listing agent, when I see a showing booked on Wed. for the upcoming weekend, I take it more seriously than one I see booked two hours -- or two minutes -- ahead.

The latter are almost always what I call "what the hell showings," by Buyers who are already on the block looking at something else.

Or . . . maybe they just have a very disorganized Realtor.

P.S.: contrast this post with an earlier one, "Unserious Buyers."

Told "No," But Hearing "Yes"

Showing a Home
Without Permission

Showing a home without permission is a big MLS no-no: any Realtor caught doing it is automatically on the hook for a $1,000 fine.

But the operative word is "caught."

Unless the homeowner happens to be home, it's one of those transgressions that you'd guess frequently goes undetected.

And even if it is, it's up to the client to "press charges," with assistance from their Realtor.

That means filing an ethics complaint, and documenting the allegation with evidence that the showing was rejected, and that the listing agent's electronic lockbox was accessed by the offending Realtor (mechanical lockboxes generate no such log).

A certain Realtor active in the west 'burbs' is very lucky that I have especially gracious clients, and accepted an apology from him rather than having him fined $1,000 (he was showing multiple condo's in my client's building, and apparently, wanted his clients to see the full range of choices. When he unexpectedly found my clients home, he told them a baldfaced lie that he had a confirmed showing.)

P.S.: memo to MLS: I'd actually recommend a smaller fine; $1,000 is so draconian that I'm guessing many wronged home sellers (like mine) decline to impose it, or fear some kind of retribution if they do.

P.P.S.: want a guaranteed way out of paying that $1,000? Write an offer on the property.