I’ve never sold my house before. Why is it deemed inappropriate to be present when potential buyers

I’m so glad you asked. I was just asked this at a listing appointment the other day. So many sellers want to be there to answer questions, to be certain their belongings are safe, or just for convenience. DON’T.

From the seller’s point of view, it’s just not comfortable listening to people talk about what they don’t like about your home. You may have spent a lot of time and money decorating a room only to have to hear someone say it’s awful. Why would you want to do that?

From the buyer’s point of view, it’s just uncomfortable. You feel like you’re intruding on someone’s time and personal space. You feel like you can’t really say what you think because you’ll hurt the seller’s feelings. You’re likely to get out of there as soon as you can.

When there isn't an owner there, the buyer can take their time, say what they like and don’t like or what they may want to change. They can imagine themselves living in the space rather than seeing it as someone else’s home.

The object of a showing is to allow the buyer to see if the house works for them. Can they make the space home? By being present for showings, you’re making that very difficult to do. You have to let go of some control and trust the process and your agent. You want to sell the house. You have to get out of the way and let someone else feel like it’s home.