Setting Up Meetings With Potential Buyers
When selecting a real estate agent, consider how they approach the idea of meeting with potential buyers. Ideally, you want someone who is willing to coordinate these meetings themselves. This is because, according to many real estate agents, buyers can be a little uncomfortable when the sellers are present at meetings, especially if the meeting takes place at the sellers' home. Buyers can feel slightly like intruders. In addition to providing financial advice, the real estate agent can serve as an important psychological buffer between the seller and the potential buyers.
Open House
Less formal meetings, such as open houses where prospective buyers can walk freely through the home for sale, should be entirely under the jurisdiction of the real estate agents. If the seller is to appear at an open house at all, it should be only to greet customers at the door and say something warm and positive, like "We really enjoyed living here; we think you will, too." However, sellers present at an open house should be concerned with first impressions on potential buyers only. The actual showing of the house is the job of the real estate agent. Sellers who are too involved at these meetings risk coming across as pushy, making potential buyers uncomfortable and reducing the chances of selling the home.
Your real estate should be a good enough judge of character to be able to suggest an appropriate role for you at open houses and other meetings with buyers. If you are naturally an outgoing, chatty person, it may actually be better for you NOT to be there. Buying a home is a big decision, and potential buyers may want to just be left alone to gather their own decision about a house. This may be one situation where your outspokenness can work against you, not for you. Your agent should have the final say as to whether or not you will be present. If your agent decides that yes, you should be part of the open house, they must coach you on how to speak to customers. There are certain things you can and can't say to potential buyers. Ideally, you should keep it short and sweet. No talk of negotiations until you're all actually seated around the negotiations table. You need the kind of agent who can make you aware of these things.
