These remarks--some might call it venting--are directed to my brothers and sisters in the real estate community who list residential properties for sale. One of the maxims of selling something is that the prospective buyer must be exposed to that which you want him to purchase. In real estate that usually means the buyer has to be able to inspect the property being offered. While the Internet has enabled "virtual" showings of real estate listings, in the vast majority of cases it's still necessary for the buyer to physically tour a home before making a purchase decision. Common sense would thus seem to dictate that responsible listing agents should remove as many impediments as possible to the prospective buyer 's convenience in seeing their listings. This responsibility escalates to a critical level in today's challenging market, where competition is more plentiful than ever, and not fulfilling it constitutes nothing short of gross negligence on the part of a listing agent.

Why is it, then, that when attempting to schedule appointments to show homes, it seems invariable that there will be problems obtaining timely confirmation? And why do so many agents require that showing appointments be made directly through them, when they're not always available to handle these requests promptly and efficiently? What happens when a buyer's agent has clients at his or her desk who want to see a home on short, but reasonable, notice and the listing agent can't be reached? There are systems and services available at nominal cost that make these problems avoidable. The successful firms and agents know this and take advantage of them.

Missed opportunities for listings to be viewed in person by prospective purchasers hurt everyone. They deprive the seller and the buyer of an opportunity to create a transaction; they cost the listing agent and the buyer's agent a commission opportunity; and they make the real estate profession--especially the listing agent and his brokerage company--look incompetent.

Lost sales opportunities increase marketing times and marketing costs for listing companies and agents.With so many brokerages and individual licensees struggling financially, it doesn't make sense that there are not good systems in place for scheduling appointments to show homes. Nor does it make sense that agents do not educate their sellers on the crucial importance of being reachable and ready to show their home at all times. A little bit of pre-planning goes a long way here. To be sure, there are legitimate occasions that require a seller to decline a showing request or require a certain amount of advance notice, but these are the exception, not the rule.

Gone are the days (if they ever existed in the first place) when it was only necessary for lazy and inept agents to place a home in the MLS and wait for the offers to pour in. Today's real estate market requires both the agents and their sellers to work harder and smarter to make their listings easy for buyers to see and purchase.

Bob Dohn
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
140-A S. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg, IL 60193
Direct phone: 847-301-3126
Web: www.BobDohn.com