Orange County Information Center - Home Selling

How can I make sure I don’t miss potential buyers when I’m not at home?

If you are like most people, you can’t be home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, waiting to show your home to potential buyers. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to make sure you don’t miss potential buyers when you are not home.

• First, change your voicemail greeting or the outgoing message on your answering machine to provide potential buyers with key information about your home: include the asking price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage, how to schedule an appointment to view your home, and how to obtain the combination for your lockbox (if you choose to use one).
• Second, you can put a combination lockbox on your front door. By using a combination lockbox, you can allow only those agents and potential buyers who meet your screening criteria to view your home when you’re away. Because allowing strangers into your home carries a certain amount of risk, it is strongly recommended that you limit access to your home to licensed real estate agents and their clients. If you have access to the internet, you can easily verify that a call is from a licensed real estate agent by going to the California Department of Real Estate’s website, www.dre.ca.gov, and clicking on the link for “Check License Status.” A combination lockbox and realtor lockbox is included for FREE with the purchase of a service package from O.C. Real Estate Advisors. We will also provide you with specific instructions on how to use your lockbox safely and effectively.
• Alternatively, when your home is listed in the Multiple Listing Service, you can specify that your home is available for viewing by appointment only and provide the telephone number agents should call to schedule an appointment.

Warmest Regards,

Peta Carley
Orange County Real Estate Advisor

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