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."