First off, thank you in advance to any/all advice anyone can share. I just found this message board this evening, and its been very helpful/enjoyable so far!

My issue:
I am a first-time seller about to put my small condo on the market. So far, I really enjoy working with the real estate agent that will be listing my place. The one dilemma I have is with my dog and what to do with her when my condo is being shown during the week.

I have a 7 yr old small dog (5 lbs). During the week, I work and am rarely home before 7 pm. My commute is about an hour, so I am unable to stop off at home and pick my dog up before a realtor and client swings by.

I am leery of having a realtor show my condo on weekeday mornings/afternoons, when I am unable to stop off at home and pick up my dog beforehand. I may be one of those overprotective dog owners, but my biggest fear is having her sneak out the front door when a realtor comes by (she has done this once or twice when someone she doesn't know comes in). I've also tried using a crate/pen with my dog, but to no avail - my dog howls the ENTIRE time she is left in there, which will surely chase prospective buyers away. I don't have any family in the area that can watch my dog, and I can't really afford to board her at the vet each day while I try to sell my place.

I've spoken to my realtor about this issue, and have told her that it looks like my only recourse is to have my condo shown by appointment only. This would only be during weekdays - I can take my dog out of the condo each and every weekend for any showings/open houses.

My realtor isn't a fan of "appointment only" showings, and has told me that it will hurt my chances of selling. I completely understand her reasoning, but I don't know what other choice I have at this point.

Sorry for my long-winded post. I guess my two questions are: do "appointment only" showings significantly hurt my chances of ever selling? And is there any option anyone knows of that I have overlooked/not tried?

Thanks for taking the time to read, and thank you in advance for any advice.

Hey there, welcome to the board!

Yes, by setting your listing up as "appointment only" it will hurt your chances of selling. Many buyers and their agents don't want to waste their time trying to schedule themselves at your convenience just to show one property. Many of them will just move on to the next property. It all depends on how many other comparable properties there are in your area too.

Why don't you just have your agent list in the MLS remarks that there is a dog in the home and to not let him out? Many agents will read this before showing the property. If the remarks says there is a dog and to not let him out, most people will respect that by being careful when they open the front door. Maybe even write a small sign on the front door making people aware of the dog so they don't let him out. If that doesn't work well, put the dog in one of the bedrooms and close the door. Then put a sign on that door.

You have a very common issue that happens all the time. As a last resort, drug the dog so he sleeps all day.

You could offer a lower price to offset the dog issue.

Why don't you put your dog in a certain room and lock it. For about 10 dollars you can change the lock on a regular bedroom door to a keyed lock. This way knowone by mistake can open the door it will be locked to the room. You can let your dog stay in there. On that door have a note with a pic of the room on the door explaining the door is locked and a dog is in there.


Make sure it is not the master bedroom or a bath as everyone wants to see those.By letting the dog run free in the room it shouldn't howle.

Other than that you will have to attract them with a lower price to sell it. Some people are allergic to pets or don't like the smell so you already have a few strikes against you.

good luck-no legal advice

You can lock the dog in some of the rooms, but a lot of buyers want to see all of the bedrooms. Ask the listing agent to put in MLS that there is a friendly dog in the house and don't let him out. CSS alwys tell the agents that there will be dog there.

Have you considered "doggie daycare", perhaps a local vet has drop in daycare. Instead of going to Appointment Only, perhaps 24 hour notice for an appointment and then you can drop the dog at the "doggie daycare" for the day and pick it up on the way home. It may be worth the money to get you home sold and your dog will have company all day and you don't have to worry about it getting out.

Just another option to consider.

It is interesting to see how other markets work. In my area, all of our showings are by appointment only and usually we give 24 hours notice. Exceptions are usually only bank owned properties and even for most of those you have to call to set up when you will be showing it.

How exactly do showing work in your area? Do the buyer's agents give any notice or do they just show up to show your house? Do you have any teenage neighbors that could take the dog for a walk while your house is being shown? When school is out, a 14 or 15 year old neighbor might like making a couple of bucks to walk the dog for 30 minutes or so.

You have some options.

1. get a small kennel for your dog in your condo.
2. board it
3. leave it with friends during the week.
4. find someone to "dog sit" in their home during the week

You don't say where you are so we have no idea what the local customs may be.

In my area dogs running around a listing unrestrained is not a good selling point.

Appointment only is tricky - because yes it does narrow your chances, especially if as you said are in a condo, which means likely there will be other condos similiar for sale...

But if someone really wants to see it (and most educated buyers would want to see ALL of them in the same building/neighborhood) then chances are they will wait for evening or weekend.

Another option would be to find someone - maybe a retiree or student on summer break, who could watch the dog during the day...chances are they would want to be paid though and I'm not sure how worthwhile that would be.

I have 2 dogs myself. I had a client in the same situation as you. I had her drop the dog off and pick her up. It took 5 months to sell. She offered to pay me $500.00. I told her she could pay me by sending referrals. She has sent me 15 of which I closed 8.

I would suggest speaking with your neighbors. I am sure someone else has a dog and would be willing to watch your dog during the day for a small fee.

OHAgent - Here only high price homes are by appointment only. The seller decides what type of notice they want. Most occupied homes require a 30 minute courtesy call(leave a message and show). Some require no call. Still others want them to call the agent. There are instructions for showing on our listings.

Sit your dog down and explain to her that we are selling the house, its stressful, and she is going to have to do her part and sit in a crate. Its a temporary situation.

As REODayton said above, get a crate/cage for the dog. But specify to your agent and their office or whomever schedules the showings of your home, that you will need 12-24 hours notice. So, on days when there are showings scheduled, before you leave for work, put the dog in the cage/crate. problem solved.

The very best advice, though most sellers don't want to hear it, and most agents are reluctant to give it, is to remove all pets from the home before listing it.

Not only is 'appointment only' going to reduce your potential pool of buyers. But comments about 'don't let the dog out' only distract attention from what you want both the selling agent and buyers to be thinking about... YOUR HOME. Furthermore, I've had many clients who would not enter a home with a dog or a cat. Either due to fear or allergies.

Best advise for home sellers... send Fido or Frisky off to stay with grandma or the kids for a month or two. Fido may even enjoy the vacation!

Good luck!

By now maybe you've sold your condo.

I like the idea of locking the dog in a room and putting a photo of the room on the door. Also put the radio on to occupy the dog's ears. You can also use this technique with a family member who needs rehab.

Very interesting conversation. In the area I am in (Pennsylvania) it's just assumed people call for an appointment. I guess every state is different. I can't see what can be so hard for an agent to pick up a phone and confirm a time with the seller.

Considering I have 2 small boys and a big dog (single home) I couldn't imagine someone just "showing up" at my door. I would be horrified. What if I'm in the shower or in the bathroom. What if my kids have all the toys all over the place? Actually it works to the buyers benefit to have a time set to ensure the house is at it's best.

It's always interesting to see how different areas do things differently. My family in Canada said that they expect the wife to stay in the house in case the buyers have any questions. Unlike here where they don't want you with in 500 feet of the house LOL!

It's not hard at all when your's is the only house being shown.

But we get involved in a little more choreography when we're showing 6 or 8 houses to the same Buyers, and cannot predict with certainty exactly how long they might want to linger at any one of them; so a precise itinerary is very elusive.

Sometimes Residential Lookers will like a place and want to study it for an hour. And then the very same people may refuse to even go inside the next house because it lacks curb apppeal. Our schedules have to flex to accomodate these whims.

Your own Listing Agent can explain the exact circumstances there; but the presence of a loose dog never makes it easier to show off a residence to prospective Purchasers; regardless of which State the property is located in. Addressing the issue will insure your property isn't the one that is frequently skipped because it is a "difficult show".

generally I give a three hour window when making an appointment. 1-4pm, 10-1pm, etc. That's about as narrow as I'm willing to make it.

I agree with Texas agent.

is set my buyer appointments up like this.

say i pull 6 houses that meet my buyers needs.

-i print them out.
-then my mls has a map feature so that i can see exactly where they are and can put them in order to go from one to the next.
-then i look at the showing instructions at the bottom of the page and make the calls to set up the showings.
-showings are set up like this.

first showing 9am-10am
second showing 930am-1030am
third showing 10am-11am
fourth showing 1030am-1130am (say the fifth showing is on the same street)
fifth showing 1030am-1130am
sixth showing 11am-noon

if one of the showings ask me to come back at a later time, i might not be able to go back to them to show it even if i want to. often times i say no and ask the seller ot reconsider our initial time. fact is taht selling a house is inconvenient.

i work almost exclusivley with sellers.

there are a few ways hsoiwngs can be handeled

go
courtesty call
appointment only
24 housr notice


from top to bottom you can see how you would eliminate buyers if you want them to buy your house on your schedule. if the urgency to show the house is not there i will only go but so far to show it. there are to many homes on the market to play the i game driving out of my original route to show a propety because someone wanted to sleep in or tidy up.

i know that i came off kind of blunt and possibly rude. just wanted to drive the point that making your home more easily accessible will get more buyers through the door.

my other mandatory request for my sellers is that they not be present when the home is shown.

i mean lets be realistic. my wife and i wont talk openly in front of a stranger especially if the things that we are talking about are owned by the stranger.

i am telling you these things because it is in your best interest to get showings.

would you rather show your house even if it is a little bit messy or miss the showing totally.

if you dont show the house, you have 0% chance of a sale. this is a numbers game. more showings = more chances of an offer

good luck to you

My suggestion is to buy a gate that opens and closes easily. Put in in a doorway and keep your fur baby in that room. That way, if she does escape, she can only go as far as the next room, not out the front door. DO NOT feel bad or overprotective. I've lost a dog when a contractor left my front door wide open once. It was horrific when she was out for five days straight. Luckily with about 100 signs in the neigborhood, I got her back thanks to a good samaritan spotting her. I will never leave a contractor unsupervised at my house again.
Good luck. I hope you already sold your condo!
lisa

There are SOOOOO many houses on the market, and I have so little time, that I will basically take the home out of the list if an appointment is required. I don't mind a 30 minute notice (that's understandable), but appointments are basically no shows for me. I change that policy only if the house is perfect or price is great for my buyers.

It already takes way too much time to show the number of listings that are available and possibly interesting to the buyer. And this is especially true since in today's market you are competing with foreclosures--which are always vacant and almost always priced better.

It is also difficult to show a home with a dog running loose. I like the idea of putting a pic on the door and leaving the dog in the room.

Find a Houdini proof gate, such as they sell to prevent toddlers from going down steps. Leave your 4 legged child in a room, with the gate blocking their escape, so the potential buyers can still see inside the room. Be sure to try it before showings start to make sure the dog cannot get out. I have 3 cats, which would never allow such silliness from their loyal subject, but a dog may allow the transgression.

That is just amazing to me cause I had no idea that this is how agents think. So you would pass up the chance of showing a house just because you have to call and set a time? I am just thinking that as a potential buyer as well as a seller that would be a turn off that my agent would not show me a house cause he/she thought it was to time consuming to call and give a heads up.

Sorry if I am sounding off the wall right now but being on both ends of it now it's upsetting to hear this type of stuff . Unfortunately I would never show my house in the condition it is in with my dog and kids just with random people popping in. And as a buyer I would rather see the persons house at it's best so I can see it for what it is not to have to focus on the mess around me.

Reality is people live in the house every day and it's going to look lived in. I'm confused because on one end the realtor wants everything "showroom perfect" yet they want to just show up at your door with no notice. I almost sense these people don't have pets or children who think this is realistic. We all know that if a buyer just popped in and there was even 1 dish in the sink they would be having a hey day with that LOL!

Come on this all seems a bit over the top to me honestly. I still am having a hard time with the problem accomidating the seller as well. Actually you're doing the buyer a favor so the house looks it's best.

Ow, well I guess I'm just not going to ever understand the Realtor view on this issue BUT I do appreciate the dialog!

Cheers!

The buyers dictate the schedule, we always tell buyers we may need to make appointments prior to showing. Say we have 10 possible homes to look at, and I am trying to schedule this in 4 hour window starting in 20 minutes because they just showed up at the office. I have to wait for a call back from you/your agent to say it is OK. So I leave a gap in the schedule for your home and schedule the other homes. Now you want to make it 30 minutes later! I can reschedule all the other homes because of you (if it is #1) OR leave it off today's list and we will try to see it at a later time. But we may see "THE" home and never come back to yours! We want to show your home, do you want it to be shown?

"So you would pass up the chance of showing a house just because you have to call and set a time? I am just thinking that as a potential buyer as well as a seller that would be a turn off that my agent would not show me a house cause he/she thought it was to time consuming to call and give a heads up."

i quoted you there^^^^^^^^^

no i would not pass up the chance to show a house to my buyer, but if my buyer says that they can only make it from 2-4pm to see properties and the request from a seller is that they cant show until later because they have to get home to straiten up at 5pm and they want us to come back at 5:30 ... they missed my bueyrs window. when we get back out there i would try it again, but in reality, buyers would move onto a different neighborhood.. where i am from we have so many homes on the market that are bending over backwards to get us into the door and offer incentives that there really is not time play games with one infividual. either they will accomodate the buyer(who has the money) or thye wont.


i work almost exclusivley with sellers, so i am telling you what i tell my sellers. the truth. it is not always the best news, but it is the needed news. i dont mean to be the bearer of the news, but i am telling you this to benefit YOU. i wont make a dime off of your home selling, but you are here for advice and i am giving you my honest advice. i am an agent and when i sell my home, i will offer a 3% co-op to the buyers agent, have my dogs(doberman and german shephard) out of the home, be in the best shape and at one of hte lowest prices when i want to sell because i know that wehn i put my home on the market, i will sell it in 30 days or less. i will be able to fight for my price because it will be a realistic price taht will be defendable.

I hate to repeat myself; but I'll go out on a limb and say it again:

This "Dog" subject wouldn't be an issue IF your's was the only house being shown. But it isn't.

Your Agent is trying to Facilitate the showing of "Your" house when it is one of many.

One of the biggest obstacles in this business is getting Buyers and Sellers to overcome their Ego-Centricism; a problem which inhibits their ability to see the Universe as anything other than something that revolves around "them". It doesn't.

Over time, sooner or later, we all come to realize that we will have to adapt to the Market . . . . because the Market isn't going to adapt to us. It's a Fact of Life.

I thought it was pretty simple. It isn't !

It applies to everything in Life. Sooner or later, like it or not, we all have to Get with the Program !

I don't even know the latest count on houses in my city. Hundreds. The buyer will NEVER see all of the homes. They will get tired of looking before me. So, on the first go round, I will take out homes that require appointments . . . the buyer will have no idea. I take out the homes that are difficult to show for whatever reason, *unless* they are a spectacular deal or in the perfect location for the buyer (which most houses are NOT). You just have to picture a manilla folder full of potential houses to show. Sometimes even looking at all of the pictures on the MLS is impossible . . . that's another thing . . .if the agent has bad pics on the MLS, that's another no-show for me. We just have too many choices. It's easy to be picky. Now, if they do not find a house, then I might look again at those that I passed up before. But houses that require appts are WAY down on the list.

I know this isn't good news, but it's reality, and we wouldn't be helping you sell your home if we lied to you.

I do not mind a 30 minute notice if the home owner's phone number is in the agent remarks (none of this . . . call the agent, then call the owner . . . which typically leads me to two sets of voice mail . . . irritating!!!)

And we are already coordinating two schedules (mine and the buyer's). We can't coordinate two more at the last minute. And we do not plan this whole thing a week in advance or something. Buyers move on a whim. We act when they move, not one week later, because we would lose them if we took that approach.

Remember, lots of REOs priced VERY well, sitting vacant, are competing with homes, at least in my area.

Any sellers or potential sellers looking at this post read this............

The market has CHANGED!

Your experience of buyers clamoring over your property,higher offers over list price,and making appointments to fit the SELLERS schedule have gone out the door.

It's a buyers market with tons of inventory to choose from.So immediately hard to show properties get tossed out the window UNLESS the deal is so cheap that the buyers will deal with the inconvenience. I have found this not to be the case as sellers have mindsets still of the markets of 2 to 3 years ago.

This is why I tell sellers unless you have a great reason to sell and can be realistic on price do not sell or put it on the market. You will get eaten alive buy bank foreclosures and sellers in pre-foreclosure and other hardships needing to sell.

The first 2 weeks listed is the best time to get it under contract as it is FRESH on the market. Anytime after that buyers figure the seller is unrealistic on price,or desperate to sell,or the property is stigmatized because why has no other buyer bought this at a great price,or it's really hard to show (has pets,must give lengthy notice,can only show day or night etc.)

If I was a seller I would want to price right and be TOTALLY inconvenienced for a few weeks then to be overpriced and make demands for showings and have to clean and show the property months on end and keep reducing behind the market and selling for a big loss and be overstressed.

As you can tell by some of the posts not everyone is a "Dog Person" Obviously if your dog has never been crated before you cant start now that would only create anxiety for the dog and when potential buyers viewed the home they would be distracted by the dogs behavior. CYGNUS has the best solution which is to get some help from your neighbors. Give them a key so that you can call them and ask them to take the Dog for 30 mins while the property is being shown.

[quote=wireda1a]First off, thank you in advance to any/all advice anyone can share. I just found this message board this evening, and its been very helpful/enjoyable so far!

My issue:
I am a first-time seller about to put my small condo on the market. So far, I really enjoy working with the real estate agent that will be listing my place. The one dilemma I have is with my dog and what to do with her when my condo is being shown during the week.

I have a 7 yr old small dog (5 lbs). During the week, I work and am rarely home before 7 pm. My commute is about an hour, so I am unable to stop off at home and pick my dog up before a realtor and client swings by.

I am leery of having a realtor show my condo on weekeday mornings/afternoons, when I am unable to stop off at home and pick up my dog beforehand. I may be one of those overprotective dog owners, but my biggest fear is having her sneak out the front door when a realtor comes by (she has done this once or twice when someone she doesn't know comes in). I've also tried using a crate/pen with my dog, but to no avail - my dog howls the ENTIRE time she is left in there, which will surely chase prospective buyers away. I don't have any family in the area that can watch my dog, and I can't really afford to board her at the vet each day while I try to sell my place.

I've spoken to my realtor about this issue, and have told her that it looks like my only recourse is to have my condo shown by appointment only. This would only be during weekdays - I can take my dog out of the condo each and every weekend for any showings/open houses.

My realtor isn't a fan of "appointment only" showings, and has told me that it will hurt my chances of selling. I completely understand her reasoning, but I don't know what other choice I have at this point.

Sorry for my long-winded post. I guess my two questions are: do "appointment only" showings significantly hurt my chances of ever selling? And is there any option anyone knows of that I have overlooked/not tried?

Thanks for taking the time to read, and thank you in advance for any advice. [/quote]


One of my listings has 5 dogs, and minature horses, a burro, turkeys, chickens etc. Its shown by appt only and have had no problem with that. However, for just one little 5lb doggy I make the following suggestions:


1. Showing instruction should say to call Listing Agent. This way he or she can explain the situation.

2. Call listing agent, listing agent must accompany. Hopefully your agent gets alongwith your dog :D

3. As someone else mentioned, lock into a room and post a sign on the door to not open because of dog.

4. Limit showings to after 7pm on week nights and anytime on weekends. Most people don't get home from work until after 5 or 6 pm anyway and have the weekends off.

S
www.susanbarlow.com

Could you put up a gate in a hallway leading up to the front door? Make people step over the gate?

I have to agree with some of those above. As much as your dog howls in the crate- this is the best option for it. :( It's unfortunate and unpleasant for the dog and you, but it will be able to live with it for a few weeks while you sell and perhaps even get used to it! Just make sure your agent tells the viewing agents that there is a dog in there so there are no surprises.
Get 24 hours notice for showings, and then the days when you will have showings, put him/her in the crate before you go to work. The dog should not be running around the house- it will discourage people from coming through.
It would be best to have it right out of the home altogether, but since this is not an easy situation for you- the crate is sufficient.
I have gone through many homes with dogs howling away in crates. It's not the best situation, but it is quite common, and won't discourage too many buyers if it is secured away. If you are serious about selling- you need to get as much access to your home as possible!
Good luck!

I had a note added on my listing that a dog was on the property and to call me before showing. I only worked 10 minutes from home. I was surprised by the number of agents who didn't see the note or ignored it. My agent would get a call, "There's a dog on the property, blah, blah, blah." Luckily most of those visits where when I was home. Next time I will hang a sign on the doorknob so they can't miss it.

You learn something new all the time. Here in Indiana is almost exclusively done by appointment. I could not imagine sellers with children showing their homes regularly with minimal notice.

I think getting the small kennel for your dog while you are away is the best way to go. My dogs love being in there.

[quote=rice8702]I think getting the small kennel for your dog while you are away is the best way to go. My dogs love being in there. [/quote]

Maybe if you don't want to keep your dogs in the kennel all day, you can ask the landlord to put them into the kennel when they come to show the place. That would mean arriving 10 minutes early and maybe getting a little dirty. A good agent would help out with this but it depends on hows yours feels.