I was viewing condos at Bathurst & Lakeshore earlier this week with a buyer client of mine. The plan was to see six properties in total, all located within two neighbouring buildings. We got in to see five of the properties, no problem. Unfortunately, condo number six - the one she really wanted to see - didn't go as smoothly...
First of all, the lock box wasn't where they said it would be. We had to explore all three stairwells before finally spotting it, all the way up on the landing to the next floor!
Then, the code they gave us wasn't working. I tried a few alternate number variations with no success and decided to phone the listing brokerage to confirm the code.
Indeed, the code they had on their end was the same one I first tried. They had no clue what could be wrong.
I had the listing agent paged and we waited patiently outside the suite. Ten minutes later my phone rang. The agent too had no clue what could be wrong and told me that he would have to try and get a hold of his partner, as they were the one who really knew more about this particular listing.
We waited another 10 minutes. No phone call. We left.
Ultimately, my client and I both went home empty handed that day. I wasn't able to show her the property that I felt might've been a real contender and she wasn't able to see the property she was most looking forward to.
Granted, mix ups do happen and keys sometimes go missing. Fair enough. This was a bit more than that though.
As frustrating as it is for me that we couldn't get in to see the property, it's the seller I really feel bad for. They have no idea that ready, willing, and qualified buyers are coming to view their condo - only to have the door slammed in their face when they arrive.
How many other agents unsuccessfully tried to show the property that day? How many of them do you think are actually going to rebook and come back again another day, especially with the looming possibility that the key still might not be there!
As a seller you've often only got one shot at getting your property seen by a potential buyer. If they can't get in to see your home then they'll just move on to the next.
There are plenty of important factors in ensuring your property gets ample exposure; staging, photography, list price, to name a few. But when you're realtor can't even handle the small task of making the key available for showings... all the marketing in the world isn't going to help a lick.
If you’re thinking of selling and would like to find out more about my marketing plan, feel free to contact me for more info.