Why agents tell you to leave when house is being shown

Why do real estate agents insist that the owner not be present when the property is shown?

 

Agents will say that the owner 'gets in the way' or 'makes the potential buyers uncomfortable.'

 

Does this make any sense at all?

 

The real reason is that the agents' system of separate listing and buyer agents is dysfunctional. The listing agent gets a homeowner to list their property with that agency. The agent taking the listing may be educated about the property by the owner and may know a little about it.The problem is that it is rare that this agent will then bring any buyers at all to the property. In fact, most buyers will be brought by other agents who probably are setting foot in the home the same time as are the prospective buyers.  What do you think is the chance of obtaining a knowledgeable and informative showing from this agent? Very unlikely.

 

This dysfunctional arrangement where one agent takes the listing (and may know something about the property) and another agent shows the property (who probably knows little to nothing about the property) is one reason why the traditional process takes so much longer and results in so much wasted time looking at houses that aren't even close for buyers.

 

For homesellers, the poor showings will prolong the selling process, invite low ball offers and waste months, if not years, of your time.

 

A recent convert to Picket Fence fired his agent after coming home early during a showing,here is his comment:

 

" I've been listed with an agent for almost a year.  I couldn't understand why our house wasn't selling.  The other day I happened to come home early while an agent was there showing the buyers around.  So much  of what the agent said was wrong -- about the school system, about our house.  Not only wrong, but it portrayed it in a negative way.  She talked them right out of it!!  I realized then that my listing agent had never shown the property, it's  always been other agents that don't really know our house.  Now I know why it hasn't sold.  I called our agent and fired them the next day."