Nobody teaches showing etiquette in licensing class, but every listing agent notices it. How you book, enter, leave and follow up on a showing is your reputation with the agents you'll be negotiating against next month.
Before you book
- Qualify your buyer first. A real pre-approval, or proof of funds for cash. Touring with someone who can't buy wastes the seller's time and yours.
- One lender pull at a time. If your buyer is shopping lenders, let one process finish before starting another. Overlapping credit pulls and half-finished applications create confusion you'll have to clean up later.
- Read the listing all the way through, including the agent remarks and showing instructions in the MLS.
Book it the right way
- Call the listing agent first, especially on your early showings. Introduce yourself, ask what matters (disclosures, offer timing, anything the photos don't show) and get the lay of the land. That two-minute call often tells you more than the listing does.
- Follow the showing instructions exactly: a scheduling app, a lockbox, or the agent meeting you there.
At the property
- Never give a lockbox code or key to a client. No one tours without an agent present. Ever.
- You're responsible for the home while you're in it: doors, lights, pets, thermostats, belongings.
- Leave it as you found it. Keys back in the box, box locked, lights off, every door checked.
After
- Send feedback to the listing agent within a day, even if it's "not for us." Specific is better: layout, bedroom size, condition, price.
- Keep notes on what your buyer liked and didn't. The next search gets sharper.
Try it this week
Before your next showing, call the listing agent and ask one question the listing doesn't answer. Write down what you learned.