Showing prospective buyers around properties for sale is one of the first skills that estate agents learn. Traditional agencies have long since offered this service to sellers who are too busy or simply don’t want to deal with viewings themselves. Some homeowners, however, prefer to deal with viewings themselves.

Both options have their advantages, depending on your preferences. Showing your property yourself provides you with completed control, whilst arranging for an estate agent to conduct accompanied viewings means that you don’t have to give up your own time to accommodate every interested party. It’s a very personal decision that varies from seller to seller.

Conducting viewings yourself

There are many benefits to conducting house viewings yourself. More than anyone else, you’re best placed to answer questions about your property, the neighbourhood, and what it’s like to live there. You can arrange viewings at times that suit you best, you will get to personally meet every potential buyer, and you can assess firsthand how serious they appear to be about the property. There’s no need to go back and forth between the estate agent to confirm or reschedule viewing times or get feedback.

On the other hand, the time commitment of conducting viewings yourself can be challenging, especially if you work full time and have a family. If your availability for showing interested parties around your property is limited, you may significantly reduce the pool of potential buyers and, thus, the likelihood of selling your home quickly for the best possible price. Furthermore, not everyone is confident dealing with viewings on their own.

Accompanied viewings by an estate agent

Whilst it’s true that you, the homeowner, know more about your property than anyone else, estate agents are skilled and experienced professionals who know the best way to market different properties to a range of buyers. Estate agents will pick up on benefits and appealing features of your home and neighbourhood that you may not be aware of, or have simply forgotten about over the years. With a fresh pair of eyes, they see things differently.

Estate agents conduct viewings of properties day in day out. They know what works and what doesn’t—how best to prepare a property for viewings to ensure it’s appealing, welcoming, and looking at its best. They have perfected their marketing skills, they can easily build rapport with all manner of potential buyers—even the most challenging—and they know how to overcome objections and potential hurdles.

Another advantage of arranging accompanied viewings by an estate agent is that potential buyers are more likely to be honest with them. Most people, especially us Brits, don’t like to offend. If there’s something about your property that puts people off, they might not tell you for fear of being rude, but they won’t have any issues telling an estate agent. By determining what’s putting people off, you can address and overcome the problem more easily.

Whatever your choice, it is important to carefully weigh the pros and cons and choose the right option for your circumstances and needs.

As one of the West of Scotland’s longest-standing estate agents, we have had lots of experience managing the ups and downs of the housing market in recent times, so you can be confident you’ll be in safe hands when working with us. With an expert team by your side and a variety of properties on offer, including both property to let and homes for sale, Caledonia Bureau are confident that we can match you with the right home. Give our friendly team a call today, choosing from our offices in Clydebank, Helensburgh, Dumbarton and Paisley.