Last week while previewing for a buyer in the Bellevue area, I ran into a home without a keybox, by sellers request. 

On mission that day I saw about 30-35 homes.  It was a very productive day, I am able to preview about 8-10 homes an hour depending on proximity.  I generally run in and tour while taking notes and comparing the home to the rest I have seen that day.  Previewing real estate without buyers is quite fast.  Once I have narrowed the field and chosen the best listings to show I show the buyers at a much more methodical pace.

My clients were looking for a 3 bedroom home with 2200+ sqft in Bellevue.  One of the homes I tried to preview was listed by a flat fee FSBO company.  The seller had requested to not have a MLS keybox on the door.  I was unable to reach them over the phone so I was unable to view the home.  That day I was able to narrow the field from 30+ to 12.  When I showed the homes to the buyers we were able to narrow the field further to 3 homes.  After the buyers had chosen the perfect home for themselves the sellers of the home that didn’t have a keybox called.  Too Late!  Unfortunately they missed out on an opportunity to have their home shown.  While just from the looks of the exterior of the home it wouldn’t have matched what my clients were looking for, it could have had a great interior.

I think the sellers had received some bad advice.  The easier it is to show a home the more it will be showed.  While I preview homes before showing them to buyers, some agents don’t even do that.  They drive around with the buyers calling and making appointments as they go.  If a home isn’t available they just skip it and the buyers buy something else.  Presentation and easy showing are just one of the keys to selling your home.

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