If you are a real estate buyer, I think it is important for you to understand the amount of trouble and preparation sellers go through to make their homes available. I know it’s a buyer’s market, and buyers are “in control”, but this doesn’t mean that we should forget courtesy and common rules of respect. 
Most sellers, before showing their home, will clean, pick up and have it in perfect showing condition – that’s expected, since they ARE selling their home and it’s a commitment every seller needs to make before putting their home on the market.
- change their schedules to accommodate buyers
- find a baby sitter so their kids are not at the property
- wake up babies from naps
- crate their pets or take them to a different location
- take elderly or loved ones out of the house
- not cook before the showing so the home does not smell like food
- drive around the neighborhood so they are not at the showing
- interrupt family get togethers
- re-schedule birthday parties
So what does this mean if you are a buyer? It means that it is common courtesy to advise the listing agent or home owner if you are running late. Showing up 10 minutes late is acceptable, but any longer than that is not. We have encountered sellers getting angry and getting a sour taste from a buyer being 30 minutes late without prior notice.
It may seem trivial to some, but this can affect a transaction and create animosity between the parties even before any negotiations have started. As a Realtor, I am accustomed to dealing with tardiness, so this post is not about Realtors complaining about professionalism. The purpose is to let people know that it is not just about buying a house; it is not only about a real estate transaction, there are real people involved, real lives and families and we should always take that into consideration.
