Please wait as we prepare your PDF file ....

Mission Chronicle Blog

Search Blog

our goal is to help you stay informed by providing timely and interesting articles.

5 tips for real estate agents showing homes in the winter

02/20/2017

Download PDF

Last Thursday’s snowstorm was a day spent at home for many. Most New York City companies told employees — both local residents and those who commute from outside the city — to prioritize safety and work from home.

For real estate agents, however, the call of whether to leave their houses or not came from clients. If a client wanted to see an apartment that day, we grabbed our snow boots.

Several years ago, I had a vacant townhouse listing. I had a showing scheduled for the morning after a major snowstorm hit. I assumed the couple, who lived in New Jersey, would cancel, but to my surprise, they didn’t.

Being prepared in less than ideal weather conditions is of utmost importance. Here are a few helpful tips on how to prepare for such a situation.

1. First and foremost, check the weather forecast.

This seems like an obvious one, but even if snow isn’t in the forecast, single-digit temperatures should still have you making sure the windows in the vacant apartment you’re going to show are shut.

Clients don’t want to spend time in a freezing apartment.

2. Think ahead of time about who will clear the path, literally.

If you’re showing an apartment in a building, you can assume the building maintenance will have the steps and sidewalk shoveled.

In my situation with the townhouse, I had to make a run to several hardware stores in search of a shovel.

They were all sold out and I ended up using a broom to sweep the steps and clear the sidewalk as best as I could. Be prepared — a shovel that day would have saved me a lot of time and energy.

I had to make a run to several hardware stores in search of a shovel.

3. Implement a convenient ‘no shoes policy’

Many people do this anyway when showing an apartment, so as not to scuff the floors.

On a snow day or day after a storm, this should be a must.

The key to this tip is to make the process convenient. There should be a chair by the door, so people can comfortably remove their shoes or boots without having to balance themselves in the hall.

Also, shoe covers are a great alternative for those absolutely opposed to taking off their shoes, as well as for those not wearing the best of socks.

Have an area where they can neatly place their shoes, wet umbrellas and other winter gear.

4. Think about your socks.

On that note, agents — don’t ever wear socks with holes in them on a day you’re with clients!

You never know when you’ll have to take your shoes off.

5.  Give yourself, and your buyers, extra time.

As every New Yorker knows, getting around the city on a beautiful day is hard enough.

A snowstorm or blizzard makes it even harder.

Give yourself and your clients extra time when scheduling showings. Go an extra step and call a car service or driver for the day, even if this isn’t a multimillion dollar deal.

It makes getting around the city easier, and the clients are always grateful.

Joan Kagan is a sales manager/licensed associate real estate broker for TripleMint in New York City. Connect with her on LinkedInFacebook or Twitter.

Source: click here

Read More

INSPIRED, INTELLIGENT, INSIGHTFULL

STAY INFORMED WITH TIMELY AND INTERESTING ARTICLES FROM OUR BLOG, MISSION CHRONICLE. OUR ASPIRATION IS TO PROVIDE REALTORS AND OTHER REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS WITH EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCES AND SHARE OUR KNOWLEDGE TO PROPEL YOU TO YOUR GOALS.

  • Mission Chronicle Newsletter July 24, 2023

    Mortgage rates continued to press downward last week after the previous week's CPI data pointed to e...

  • Mission Chronicle Newsletter Feb 20, 2023

    Despite the recent downward trend in mortgage rates and hopes that the Fed was nearing the end of it...

  • Mission Chronicle Newsletter Feb 6, 2023

    The Federal Reserve meeting ended as market participants expected, with a quarter-point increase and...

  • Mission Chronicle Newsletter Dec 26, 2022

    Mortgage rates held relatively steady last week as most economic news came in better than expected.C...

  • Mission Chronicle Newsletter Dec 12, 2022

    Rates managed to move slightly downward last week as recession fears grew amid hopes that the Fedis ...

  • Mission Chronicle Newsletter Dec 5th 2022

    Mission Chronicle Newsletter Dec 5th 2022. Platforms: Browser, mobile-responsiveIdeal for: Leasing a...

  • Inman Review: Tenants and leasing teams get better connected with RentTango

    Have suggestions for products that you’d like to see reviewed by our real estate technology ex...

  • Tech Review: Smart Alto puts people first in its innovative lead qualification solution

    Have suggestions for products that you’d like to see reviewed by our real estate technology ex...

  • Refreshed and nurture-savvy, Market Leader’s CRM deserves your attention

    Have suggestions for products that you’d like to see reviewed by our real estate technology ex...

  • The top 4 tips to improve your negotiation skills

    In today’s luxury real estate market, strong negotiation skills are an asset—you might even say ...

March 2024
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031

  • Polls

    What information you are looking for?

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...
  • Last month Results

    How Is My Site?

    • Good (100%, 3 Votes)
    • Excellent (0%, 0 Votes)
    • Bad (0%, 0 Votes)
    • Can Be Improved (0%, 0 Votes)
    • No Comments (0%, 0 Votes)

    Total Voters: 3

    Vote

    Loading ... Loading ...