Keller Williams Realty
https://www.buyhomesincharleston.com/blog/showings-pets.html

Showings & Pets

Posted By: Alan Donald In: Sellers
Date: Mon, Jun 29th 2009 1:33 pm

Most of us REALTORS® are animal lovers and have pets of our own, but we also share many stories about showing homes where our clients went into a sneezing fit, we got bitten by a cantankerous furry creature, or opened the front door only to helplessly see a cute kitty scoot toward the nearest busy street.

It is essential to take pets into consideration if you put your house on the market. Make sure you work out the showing arrangements/instructions carefully with your REALTOR®, since it is important for showing agents to know what to expect inside your home. Buyers could potentially be allergic or scared of cats or dogs (especially if they bring children along).

Although most pets are harmless, they may hinder the buyers' experience and put a "negative aura" for your home in their minds. It is difficult to get a buyer excited about your home if he or she is sneezing continuously or unwilling to cross the threshold because your dog is barking away intruders.

One of my fellow agents has this great listing in Mount Pleasant, popular price range, great location, priced right. Yet she has had the hardest time selling it because the owner refuses to clean up after his cat, and the house smells terrible! This home should have sold months ago, if this issue had been handled appropriately...

If your agent knows there might be a problem, you may wish to walk or cage your dog, vacuum the cat hairballs or do whatever is necessary to make sure that the showing goes smoothly.