10 Signs a House Showing Went Well

Receiving a showing request is an exciting part of the home sale process. You have worked hard to improve your house while your Realtor has marketed it, and now a potential buyer wants to see what it looks like. 

After the showing, your real estate agent can report whether it was successful. They might reach out directly to the buyer’s agent for feedback and provide insight on whether or not they are interested in the property.

However, there are plenty of other signs a house showing went well. These clues will tell you exactly how interested buyers are – even if they are playing down their excitement before making an offer. Keep an eye on these indicators as you start scheduling showings.

1. Extended Viewing Time

The longer a prospective buyer spends at a property, the more likely they are to be interested in it. A buyer will leave quickly if the house is a bad fit for their needs. However, an interested buyer will take a second or third walkthrough after the initial review.

Second-view buyers might start looking at smaller details, like the kitchen appliances or shower fixtures, to gauge how much work needs to be done on the property. During this time, they will start to imagine themselves in the home and will mentally furnish and design the space. They might even take additional photos that highlight rooms and amenities that weren’t featured in the listing.

If you are away from your home during the showing, you might not know how long it lasts. However, your real estate agent should have an estimated length based on communication from the buyer’s agent

2. Engagement and Questions

An uninterested buyer doesn’t need to ask questions about the property’s condition. They won’t care when the roof was replaced or why certain renovations were made. However, an interested buyer will have several relevant questions.

A buyer might want to know everything from the basic maintenance costs to the types of plants in the front yard. They will ask your agent about nearby schools for kids and access to public transportation. 

Follow-up questions are a good sign. They show that the buyer wants to keep the discussion going about the property. Your agent might receive these questions directly during an open house or from the buyer’s representative after a showing appointment. 

When presented with these questions, be as detailed and transparent as possible in your answers. Respond quickly to the requests if possible. This shows that you are willing to work with the buyer to help them make a good home purchase decision.

3. Positive Body Language

If you can meet the house hunters in person, watch their body language. People who are interested in your home will start to get visually excited about the property. They might lean forward when they ask your agent questions and continue to look around the house with bright and open facial expressions. Even raised eyebrows or smiles from one family member to another can indicate a positive experience.

Some potential homebuyers might try to disguise positive body language when they meet with you and your Realtor. They don’t want to seem too excited as they enter the negotiation process. If you can’t identify positive body language, look for negative signs in potential homebuyers instead.

Someone who isn’t interested in the property won’t bother looking at the finer details and won’t have a positive expression on their face. You might notice a forced smile on the buyer to be polite, but they aren’t really happy about what they are seeing. 

Don’t take it personally if your home isn’t a good fit for a buyer. You still have a beautiful house, but it’s not for everybody. Something simple like a carport instead of a garage or a long driveway could put off some buyers while enticing others. The right buyer is out there.

4. Immediate Follow-Up from an Interested Buyer

If a buyer is excited about your property, they don’t want to lose it. Waiting to follow up is a risk because another house hunter can make an offer and move forward with the home-selling process. After a house showing, wait to see what the buyer does. When they reach out again, they are interested. 

There are multiple ways that prospective buyers show interest. Some ask basic questions about the house to learn about its stability. Others request additional house showings to see the property again. They might go through the same room multiple times to really look at it. 

Whatever the buyer asks, know that it’s a good sign that they are reaching out. Uninterested parties will move on to other houses and focus their efforts there. Instead, you can nurture your existing leads and let your seller’s agent convince the buyer to make an offer.

5. Positive Verbal Feedback

Some signs a house showing went well are more direct than others. The buyer’s agent might pass along direct positive comments about the home and interest from their clients. You might even hear from the prospective buyer in person if you meet them at some point during the showing. 

There are strategic reasons for sharing this positive feedback. The buyer might be interested in the house but unable to make an offer for a few days. They might need to secure a pre-approval from the lender or talk to their spouse about the property. By sharing positive comments, the buyer can let you know that they might make an offer when they can. 

As a homeowner, you can decide what to do with this feedback. In a seller’s market, good feedback isn’t as useful as a competitive offer. You might choose to accept an existing offer rather than wait a few extra days for the other potential buyer to submit their bid.

6. Buyer’s Agent Feedback

If the buyer doesn’t provide direct feedback after a house showing, the real estate agents involved might be able to offer insights instead. Buyer’s agents rely on feedback from their clients so they can recommend properties. If a buyer wants a home with a basement or a large kitchen, the Realtor can show their client homes that meet those needs. 

Most Realtors will try to provide immediate feedback to homeowners based on what their clients say. This can help you estimate the likelihood that the buyer will make an offer, request a second showing, or simply isn’t interested.

7. Repeated Visits 

Repeated visits are a good thing. This might seem like an inconvenience to you because you need to prepare for a house showing and leave the premises, but it shows that the buyer is interested.

Look for buyers who spend an extended period in your home on the second visit or who bring in other family members to see the property. These are indicators that the buyers are seriously considering your home. Any time a buyer lingers at a house, there’s a chance they want to buy it. 

Of course, some repeat visits can get excessive. Most buyers only need to see a house two or three times before making an offer. Once the buyer requests a fourth house showing, your Realtor should step in to see if they are really serious.

8. Requesting Additional Information

An interested buyer might ask about a property after they tour it, but a serious buyer will need to know the logistical information that comes with owning your house. It’s a good sign if the buyer requests information like the homeowner’s association bylaws, utility costs, and tax rates.

This means they are making sure the house falls within their budget while checking for rules that could impact their day-to-day life. 

Some buyers might even take the extra step of attending an HOA meeting or walking around your neighborhood in the evening. This gives them more information about what it’s like living in the area.

Sending this valuable information to the buyer also shouldn’t create much work for you. Either your Realtor will already have those answers on-hand or they will ask you to forward any information you have. It’s worth it for home sellers to respond quickly because the right information could lead to an offer. 

9. Discussing Potential Changes  

As soon as your buyers move in, they will start making changes to the home. These will range from repainting the rooms to upgrading appliances and light fixtures. Discussing these changes openly during a house showing is a good sign. The longer a buyer takes to look at each room and see what needs to be done, the more likely there is an imminent offer heading to your desk.  

These discussions about house changes also highlight why multiple showings are important. The initial house showing is for getting a first impression of the property. The second showing is for reviewing any major issues or changes that need to be made. Second showings cover specific components of living in the house, which need to be considered before making an offer. This is why the average time of a second viewing is much longer. 

10. Timeline Discussions

You will know an offer is on the way if buyers turn their focus from the house to the logistics of buying the property. They want to make sure their ideal timeline and moving process align with your goals. They might ask when you are trying to close on the property and what kind of flexibility you have. Buyers will also ask other logistical questions that will be relevant for drafting offers that are appealing to sellers. 

During this time, the buyers might also ask questions about you and your family. They want to know why you are selling the house and where you are moving to. You can decide how much information you share with your Realtor. If buyers think you are desperate to sell and move quickly, they might make lowball offers on your property. 

As a whole, questions are a good thing. Your Realtor should fill you in on any inquiries from buyers and how they responded to these requests. 

Hire a Realtor Who Can Bring in Interested Buyers

There are both direct and indirect signs a house showing went well. The potential buyers can express excitement about the property and request a second showing directly, or they might linger at the house during the appointment – which means they could be having discussions about buying it.

After a few positive showings, you might receive one or more offers and begin the negotiation chapter of the home sale process. 

If you are ready to sell your home, contact a real estate agent through FastExpert. You can review agent profiles and ask questions directly to potential Realtors. We will never give out your personal information, so you will only talk to agents you actually want to meet with. 

Take the first steps to sell your home today. Try FastExpert and find a qualified Realtor near you.