Land of the brokers: show only if you have an offer in hand
MA PASS is a property showing service that many brokers use. When I call MA PASS, they verify that I am a member of MLS, and then the operator arranges the showing for me.
I have gotten used to how bored the operators can be. They read the instructions out to me in a dead-pan voice. Usually, the instructions will be things like, “in wet weather, please remove shoes upon entry,” “please lock all doors, including the one to the porch,” “the dog’s name is Fred; he will be crated in the office.”
One request is still making me scratch my head. It was in a three-family house:
First floor showings only with an Offer.
My buyers were puzzled, too. I put the best face on it. I hypothesized for them: Maybe the seller doesn’t want to be bothered because most people don’t ask for a second showing. Maybe the tenant (or owner) on the first floor is old, or infirmed, or has young children.
We saw two out of three units at this property. The former was true.
I frequently am told to not show a certain unit until the second showing. That screens out people who have no interest after seeing some of the place. I think that is a reasonable way to protect tenant or owner privacy in a multi-family home. But to require an offer is over-the-top to me.
In this market, how can a seller expect that a buyer will make an offer contingent on seeing the whole property? Is it just me, or do I have the right to be incredulous about this request?
Tenants, is limiting showings a good way to protect you while the house you are in is being sold?
