Seattle Sellers: I love you, but please go ahead and leave...

I really do enjoy talking to Seattle sellers when I make appointments for my buyer tours.  I love hearing what they have to say about their house.  I am also appreciative when they give me extra information about their homes so that my showing appointment can possibly be more enlightening.  But, please, oh  please, leave your house and trust me to show your home.

We do not need a tour guide to see every detail in the house - we also don't need to have a fifteen minute discussion as to what you did to remodel each room.  My buyers are uncomfortable with you here and although you are nice and definitely friendly, they can not possibly see themselves living in your home with you hovering over them.  In fact, the visit becomes more like a race to hurry up and get out of here because you are making us uncomfortable rather than the effect you are going for. In addition, there is a schedule we need to keep to in order to be respectful to the next guy and meet his appointment time.

I think you are great, but I have been selling Seattle real estate for a while and I assure you that I am capable of showing my buyers around your home.  If there are little details you don't want us to miss then have your agent make up silent talker signs to point out highlights. 

This has happened to me more and more lately so I need to share my big tip for Seattle sellers - whether you are a FSBO or listed with an agent (agents, you should have already prevented this), you should leave your home and let us do our job.  I promise you that you will get better results and your home will sell faster because buyers will be comfortable viewing it and really take some time to look around!

Courtney Cooper, Designated Broker, Cooper Jacobs Real Esate Services, Serving Seattle&Seattle Suburbs