Showings, Open Houses, and Seller Etiquette During a Listing
The first rule of showings is: get out. Buyers cannot comfortably evaluate a home when the sellers are standing in it. The second rule is: be ready at short notice. A buyer who cannot get in tomorrow will often move on to the next home on their list.
Preparing Your Home for Each Showing
Before every showing, the home should be clean, lights on, blinds open, and pets secured or removed. Make beds. Clear counters. Take out the trash. Air out any odors -- cooking, pets, or cleaning products can all be off-putting. Buyers remember smell.
In Arizona, consider the temperature. Buyers coming from a 110-degree day who walk into a home that is 80 inside are not having a pleasant experience. Set the thermostat for comfort during showing hours.
Seller Behavior During Showings
Leave the home. Take the pets. Do not hover, do not call the showing agent mid-tour, and do not ask the showing agent to pass along commentary about the home while buyers are there. Buyers who feel watched do not stay long and do not make offers.
If you genuinely cannot leave, stay in one part of the home and let buyers move freely. But this is a last resort. The data is consistent: buyers stay longer and engage more deeply when sellers are not present.
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Open Houses: Pros, Cons, and Phoenix Reality
Open houses generate traffic, some of which is neighbors, curious browsers, and buyers working with other agents. Occasionally they produce an offer directly. In the Phoenix Valley, I use them selectively -- they can be useful in high-traffic neighborhoods and in spring, when buyer activity is strongest.
The main value of an open house is the data it provides: How many people came? How long did they stay? What were the consistent comments? That feedback informs whether the pricing and presentation are working.
Reading Showing Feedback and Low Traffic
Showing feedback from buyers and their agents is valuable. Consistent themes -- 'too expensive for the condition,' 'layout did not work,' 'loved the home but wanted a bigger yard' -- tell you whether an issue is addressable or something to accept and adjust price for.
Low showing traffic in the first two weeks almost always points to price. If buyers in your price range are viewing similar homes and not viewing yours, your pricing is sending them elsewhere. Adjust based on the data, not the hope that the right buyer is still out there.
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Written by
Jon Hegreness
REALTOR / Associate Broker, Howe Realty. AZ License BR540940000. 24 years in Phoenix Valley residential real estate.
I am a full-time Valley associate broker, not a call center. If anything here raised a question about your own move, ask me and you get a straight answer from the person who wrote this, every time.
Common questions
- How much notice do I get before a showing in Arizona?
- Showing requests are coordinated through your agent's showing service. Most sellers require one to two hours notice, but the more flexible you can be, the more opportunities you give buyers to see the home. Rejected showings are missed opportunities.
- Should I leave pets home during showings?
- Remove them or secure them completely. Buyers with pet allergies are put off immediately. Buyers who are cautious around animals will cut the showing short. Pets are a showing risk, not a benefit.
- How do I handle a showing request when my house is not fully ready?
- Do the best you can in the time available and let the agent in. A showing where the home is slightly imperfect is better than a rejected showing. Buyers understand that homes are lived in.
- What do I do if I am getting showings but no offers?
- Look at the pattern of feedback. If buyers are consistently pointing to the same issues (price, condition, specific features), that is actionable information. Discuss with your agent whether a price adjustment, a credit offer, or addressing specific items is the right response.
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