The importance of a lockbox when selling your Simi Valley home

(Updated 7/15/11) The internet has changed the way Realtors do business and has changed the way buyers shop for homes.  Additionally, technology is changing our daily routines and work habits.  Buyers have limited time to look at homes for sale so they spend most of their time conducting online search for Simi Valley Homes sifting through listings before calling a Realtor.

Buyers also have busy lives, so when it comes time to look at homes, they want to go out and look at homes on their time schedule, not the seller’s.

As an active Simi Valley real estate agent showing buyers homes, I generate a showing list based on my clients needs.  Usually there are 8-9 homes on the list that closely match (my client’s wants) and that list is sorted starting as follows:

1. Vacant listings,
2. Listings to call, leave a message and go direct,
3. Call and make special arrangements (put away pets etc.)
4. Appointment needed with the agent, the owner or both.
5. Homes that are only available at certain times or days.

Nine times out of ten times my clients will sort the list the same way if I give them the stack of paper; they want to know which houses are the easiest to see.  The reasoning behind this is that the homes on our list already fit their criteria and second that they can see as many homes possible as their time is valuable.

Clients also prefer to see a home without the seller present.  Even though a seller can be helpful in explaining things they have done to the property, home buyers like to comment about features or non features of the house and would like to do so freely.

Usually the homes (listings) that fit the first 3 scenarios above, all have lock computerized boxes.  If you have your home listed for sale and fall into the 4^th or 5^th scenario and wonder why you are not getting many showings, wonder no more.  I’ve shown thousands of homes in my career and EASE OF SHOWING rules the day.  If your house is priced with the competition in mind and you are not getting decent showing traffic; ask yourself which of the 5 choices you have given your prospective buyers and their Realtor.

Last here is an example of a day showing properties to buyers.  Last weekend my buyers wanted to see as many homes as possible.  There were 39 active Simi Valley homes for sale that met their criteria.  3 homes in particular said we could only come after 3:00 and each home was located far apart.  One Simi Valley home was in Wood Ranch, one in Simi Valley’s Big Sky and one in Simi Valley’s Auburn Hills by the Metrolink station.  Because we started out showings in Wood Ranch, guess which home got kicked of the list?  My buyers wrote and offer on a home on the east end of town. You are the seller, consider if you want to be an obstructionist or want to be inviting?

A blog post will follow soon “Lockboxes Part II” and I will go into depth on the power of the Supra iBox vs the old style combo box.

What’s my Home Worth

**This post was originally written April 27, 2008 and has been updated.