Who should carry out the viewings on your property? Should you do them yourself or let your agent do them for you? Actually, before we answer this question, there is another question that you need to ask; if your agent carries out the viewings, who exactly will be showing the viewer around your property?
So, your house is going on the market, and you are thinking about who will do the viewings. There are valid arguments for whether you carry out the viewings yourself, after all it is your property and no-one knows it better than you, or whether your agent carries out the viewings for you.
Most of the time, the answer to this question will come down to whether you:
- Have the time and/or,
- Feel comfortable showing people round your house.
As we mentioned above, no-one knows your property in the same way that you do, because you live there. If you are confident and comfortable in showing people around your property, and you are amenable to daytime and evening viewing requests, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t do them yourself. This way you are on hand to immediately answer any questions that the viewer may have (and believe us, some people have lots of questions).
If you choose to go down this route, we have a handy blog coming very soon which gives you tips and pointers to getting the best results. If you think that it is best left to the agent, then carry on reading as the difference in agent viewings may well surprise you.
So, you are letting your agent do the viewings for you
This can be a good option but the question you want to be asking your agent is, who is doing the viewing for you?
You see, different agents have different structures. Some agents have valuers, photographers, negotiators, admin and viewing staff, each carrying out their own designated roles. Whereas other agents, such as ourselves, are structured differently so that our valuers also are responsible for the marketing, negotiations and also the viewings.
So, what is the main difference between the two structures? The answer is consistency. If the person carrying out the viewing has never met you, spoken to you about your property, found out the selling points or agreed the best way to market the property, then how can they really sell it?
We have heard several horror stories about viewing representatives not being able to answer basic questions, not showing the positives or benefits of the property, rushing the viewer round and, in the end, doing more damage than good.
Therefore, we feel that the valuer should also carry out the viewings. By the time that viewings have been arranged on your home, the valuer will have met you, discussed your reasons for selling, discussed your property in depth, asked the relevant questions that a buyer would ask, agreed on a plan for how to market your property and carried out the first part of that plan.
All of this means that when it comes to viewings, the valuer will use all that knowledge and understanding of your property to sell it to the viewer and get you the best possible result.
So, if you are asking your agent to carry out your viewings, don’t forget to ask who is doing them.
We hope this guide is helpful to you but if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
James, Meteor Homes
