I just read this list in "Realtor" magazine and I thought I would share. I have experienced each one of these with clients and these things are easily avoidable. Take notes home owners....
1. Leftover home owners
By far, one of the top offenses cited by buyer’s agents was home
owners still lingering around when agents arrived with clients to
preview the home. Awkward encounters ranged from buyers finding sellers
taking a shower, asleep in the bed, to even the “stalker sellers” who
liked to follow buyers and the agent all over the home to see what they
thought.
With the exception of the “stalker seller,” many of the home owners
who were still at home blamed their listing agent for not giving them
enough advance notice about the appointment prior.
2. Pets and their messes
Numerous agents also cited the not-so-friendly dog and kitty
encounters as a top offense. Even pets left in a crate can pose a
distraction since they might make noise the entire time others are in
the house. Plus, if they seem mean, the buyer might not even step in the
room.
Vicki Robinson, ABR, CRS, broker with Fonville Morisey Realty in
Raleigh, N.C., says she recently was given showing instructions from a
listing agent who told her the family’s “friendly dog” would be at home.
But when Robinson unlocked the front door with her client for the
showing, a pit bull was staring down at them from the top of the
staircase, growling. “We closed the door and left!” she says.
3. Bad smells
A displeasing smell can really turn buyers off. Common offenses
include cooking smells lingering around the home, such as garlic, fried
bacon, or fish. Also, watch for cigarette smoke and animal smells,
agents say.
“Sellers get immune to the smell that their pets have embedded on
their property,” says Halina Degnan with Gables & Gates, REALTORS®,
in Knoxville, Tenn. “Anyone opening the door will smell it immediately
-- even if there are air fresheners trying to cover up the smell. If you
have a pet, there will be an odor. Don’t send your buyers away: Paint
and clean the carpeting. Take the odor seriously and do what is needed,
even if it means replacing the carpet.”
4. Critters running wild
Wild animals and pests roaming around is a surefire way to send
buyers running. Agents described worms crawling on the floor and bats
and raccoons lounging in the attic. “I showed a house in Utah once with a
baby alligator/crocodile [in a cage] in the dining room,” Kristi
Hutchings, ABR, SFR, with the Wendy K Team The Real Estate Group in
Utah.
5. Odd home makeovers
Do-it-yourself disasters were also prevalent, like doors opening the
wrong way or unprofessional paint jobs. Also, rooms not being used for
their intended purposes can confuse buyers, such as an office being used
as a bedroom even though it has no closet, says broker Elaine Byrne
with Elaine Byrne Realty in Austin, Texas.
6. Dirt and clutter
There were a number of offenses cited when it came to cleanliness:
Dirty laundry piles, unflushed toilets, dishes on the counter or in the
sink, unmade beds, clothes scattered about, soiled carpets, dirty air
conditioner filters, and overflowing trash cans.
“One of the worst things I have seen is piles and piles of clothes in
every room,” says Chris Leach, ABR, with Medel & Associates Realty
in Riverside, Calif. “It was like an obstacle trying to walk around the
mess.”
7. Personal information left in plain sight
Sellers should be careful not to leave in plain sight important
documents that may pique buyers’ curiosity. Some agents say they’ve seen
personal information like bank and credit card statements—even mortgage
payoff notices—left on the kitchen counter.
“Buyers are nosey,” says Christopher Handy, ABR, GREEN,
broker-associate with Bosshardt Realty Services LLC in Gainesville, Fla.
“I’ve even seen the contract for the sellers’ next purchase sitting on
the kitchen countertop or ‘final notice’ bills.”
8. Too dark
Dark or dimly lit houses aren’t showing the home in the best light.
“Particularly [homes lit with] CFL bulbs,” says Yvette Chisholm, ABR,
CRS, associate broker with Long & Foster Real Estate in Rockville,
Md. “By the time [the bulbs] light up, the buyer is gone.” Energy
efficient bulbs need time to warm up before they are at their brightest,
so staging professionals usually recommend agents arrive early to a
showing to turn on any light fixtures with CFL bulbs at least 10 minutes
prior.
9. Keys missing from lockboxes
All too often, agents arrive at a listing appointment with their
client only to find there’s no key to get in. “I actually had a
[seller’s] agent who wanted me to open the door for my clients by going
through the dog run as a large dog barked like crazy,” says Hutchings.
10. Distracting photos
Watch the photos displayed on the walls too, agents warn. Tara Hayes,
ABR, e-PRO, with Rector-Hayden, REALTORS®, in Winchester, Ky., recalls
showing a family a home that had life-sized, nude photos hanging, which
left her clients racing for the door covering their eyes.
Similarly, Angela Gandolfo, ABR, SFR, with Citywide Real Estate &
Investment in Phoenix, recalls showing a home to a client, who was
staring at a painting in the master bedroom of a woman in lingerie.
“Isn’t that the owner?” the client asked. “She was also the real estate
agent!” Gandolfo says.
Who says that nude photo is offensive? Maybe it's the selling point of the house:)
