The Fire Drill—and other tips for showing your home successfully!
So, you might be a bit overwhelmed by the plethora of information available out there about selling a house; tips, tricks, and every piece of advice under the sun. To make it simpler, Cain and Company has put together a list of “Seller Reminder Points” that are extremely simple, to the point, and helpful. They aren’t intended to be every bit of information you’ll need during the selling process, rather, they are meant to be an aid in the “showing” process.
Seller Reminder Points
1. Don’t “sell” your home. Let the agent do his/her job. The agent will show the benefits based on
the Buyer’s needs, wants and perceptions.
2. “Fire Drill” time is: Opening blinds, turning on lights, turning the television off, put soft music on.
3. Agent drive bys/drop ins. Say “I’ll be happy to allow you to show the home. Can you give me 3
minutes?” Then it’s Fire Drill time!
4. Greet your Buyer and agents at the door (if you are at home) and direct them to listing information
book about your home. Then please leave the home to allow the buyers to look in leisure.
5. Say “If you have any questions, I’ll be in the back/front yard” and leave the house at this time.
6. Keep track of how long the buyers are in the house. If any buyers are in the home more than 25
minutes, they may be very interested.
7. If asked an uncomfortable question, i.e. lower price, modifications the buyers may want, types of
people that live in the neighborhood, etc., simply say “I think it is something my agent would be
happy to talk with you about.”
8. Remember “real” buyers want to touch, smell and explore. Have your kitchen drawers, closets and
garage organized.
9. Never apologize for the present condition of the home. If it is unclean, or toys are out, don’t
mention why.
10. Most agents may not arrive on time when showing property. Many will be ahead of or behind
schedule, or may not even show up at all.
“The Fire Drill”, along with these other reminders, is a great plan to have in place in order to be ready to open your door to prospective buyers with only a few minute’s notice and still Wow them from their first step inside!
