Practicing Good Seller’s Etiquette

When your home goes on the market, you're not only opening the door to prospective buyers, but to unknown vendors and unqualified buyers. There is an expected protocol to how sellers, buyers and their respective agents interact. Should you find yourself in a sticky situation, alert your agent so he or she can address and remedy the problem.

The Aggressive Agent

When your agent puts your house on the market, typically all promotional materials state clearly that your agent is the primary contact for buyers and buyers' agents. However, sometimes a buyer's agent will contact a seller directly to try to either win over their business or cut the seller's agent out of the deal. This is not reputable behavior and you should report it to your agent immediately.

The Unscrupulous Vendor

Have you ever moved into a new home and found your mailbox full of junk mail? This can happen when you put your home on the market. When you sell your home, it necessitates all kinds of new purchasing decisions and vendors are keenly aware of this. Though MLS has rules for how posted information is used, vendors have found ways to cull information to produce mass mailing lists. If this happens, let your agent know so they can alert the appropriate sources to prompt an investigation into the matter.

The Naive Buyer

Yard signs, Internet listings and advertisements can generate buzz for your home. Some prospective buyers will drop by. No matter how nice these unexpected visitors are, it's best not to discuss your home or give an impromptu tour. Instead, politely let them know that your real estate agent is in charge of scheduling tours and provide them with the agent's contact information. If you attempt to handle these surprise visits on your own, you might inadvertently disclose information that can hurt you during negotiations down the road.