Preparing for Showings and Open Houses, Keep the Audience in Mind

Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), GRI, e-PRO, ASP

Getting properties ready for open houses or other showings takes a bit of determination — especially when it comes to paring down all the ‘stuff’ accumulated through the years. It’s a push-pull between “I still use that every day!” and “This room still looks too crowded!” You may update the paint, add some fresh landscaping, but it’s the emptying-out part that sometimes takes the most resolve.

So, after that’s all done, are you ready for showings?

Not quite.

Showings and open houses are a bit like concerts and plays. They’re presentations that (hopefully) result in a pleasurable experience. To make that happen, there have to be workers who prepare behind the scenes. When successful, their efforts are invisible — a “hit” show seems to progress by itself, effortlessly. Showings and open houses have that in common with theatrical productions, and to be successful, one other thing has to be present: The focus should be on the audience, not the cast members or crew. For home showings, that means thinking about what prospective buyers (the audience) will encounter as they walk from room to room.

Allowing yourself to imagine how someone is not familiar with your house will experience an exercise that yields another beneficial side effect. It reminds you that showings and open houses are staged to invite strangers onto the property — and that should prompt a few additional precautions.

First, think about children. You can’t keep “looky-loos” from showing up occasionally, but prospects who bring their children often mean business. You should ensure that your home is free of potential child hazards before showings. Just as you would child-proof for family member visits, eliminate unnecessarily long extension cords, tempting (and sharp) fireplace pokers, knickknacks small enough to be choking hazards (should have packed them up, anyway!), and any other dangerous thing that might attract little fingers.

Not only because of children, clear as much of the half-used debris from cabinets and shelves as possible. Make them look like the spacious ones you see on HGTV — your “audience” will be impressed with the abundance of storage. Don’t forget the medicine cabinet. Secure all medications so you don’t have to worry when you are gone or out of the room. Clean out the “junk drawer” or the place where you keep mail or bills. Everything will look organized, and your private information will be secure from over-curious eyes. You may want to get a lockbox for added security for these and for jewelry and firearms.

When you do walk-throughs like a first-time visitor, you will find that you’re much more able to relax while your trusted real estate agent is conducting showings. Showings are just part of what will make up an effective marketing effort for your home. Give me a call to discuss how we can make all the pieces fit together!