We are firm believers that it is far better for your estate agent to conduct viewings on your
property as long as they are professional and knowledgeable about your property, your situation
and the local area.
Here are some of the benefits of estate agent accompanied viewings.
It takes some of the pressure off you. Selling your home can be a stressful experience and
having the pressure of showing people around your home can add to that pressure. A good
estate agent will suggest that you leave the house and go for a walk or do something else you
enjoy while they handle the viewings. Whilst the vast majority of viewers will be respectful of you
and your home, some may ask awkward questions, for example if they don’t like something in
the home or start trying to negotiate price with you while in the property. This can be upsetting or
awkward for some sellers to deal with, so it’s better to let your estate agent handle these
situations on your behalf.
As well as taking the pressure off you, it also takes the pressure off the viewer. Most viewers
prefer to be shown around by an estate agent as long as that estate agent is knowledgeable
enough to answer their questions. Some viewers can feel uncomfortable being shown around by
the vendor because they feel like they are intruding on their space. If a viewer is shown around
by a good estate agent they feel more comfortable, can take their time looking around and feel
at home, which is all really important in them leaving the property with a positive feeling.
Your estate agent should be a trained salesperson. Whilst many homes sell themselves, there is
still a huge benefit to having a professional estate agent talking about the best features of your
home and selling the lifestyle to a buyer. Not only does this mean the buyer may be more likely
to make an offer but they are also more likely to make a higher offer if the estate agent has done
their job well. Some sellers have a tendency to say too much if showing a buyer round and can
sometimes inadvertently say something that could put a buyer off. Your estate agent should
know what to say and, equally importantly, what not to say.
Your estate agent should be available to do viewings at times you may not be. A good estate
agent should have a wide range of availability and be able to accommodate viewings on
weekdays, evenings and weekends (including Sundays). Everyone has other things going on in
their lives that may mean they don’t have enough availability to accommodate viewings, and
that could result in you missing out on the ideal buyer viewing your home.
Viewers are more likely to give honest feedback about your property to an estate agent than to
you. When you have your home on the market it is really important to know what viewers
honestly think about the property so you know if there is anything that needs changing to make
the property more saleable. Most viewers are too polite to tell a vendor to their face if there is
something they don’t like about a property, because they know the seller is likely to have an
emotional connection to their home. However, your estate agent should ask the viewers for
feedback while they are in the property, and viewers are more likely to be honest with the agent
than with the seller, so feedback will be more accurate and, therefore, more useful.
Your estate agent can ask viewers direct questions that you may not feel comfortable doing.
This could be anything from asking for feedback on the property to understanding more about
the viewers’ position and even asking them for an offer.
Some estate agents will only do accompanied viewings on properties that are vacant and will
expect their client to conduct viewings if they live in the property. As you can see above, there
are lots of reasons why your estate agent should accompany all the viewings on your property
so it is advisable to consider that when thinking about selling your home.