Feedback from a showing is exchanged between REALTORS® and sellers once a buyer has been to look at the property in person.  Feedback can be helpful because it gives the buyers a glimpse into how others see the home. Typically, the sellers real estate agent will request feedback from the buyer’s agent after the showing and the feedback will then be shared with the sellers.  Some short survey forms ask about the condition of the property, the listing price, and any other thoughts the agent or buyers have. There are several ways for sellers to respond to feedback.

The most important thing for sellers to remember is that feedback from a showing is not a personal attack on the sellers as people.  We all grow attached to our homes, so sometimes it can be uncomfortable to hear feedback that is critical of the place we call home.

Feedback from a showing about things that cannot be changed

As a seller, you might receive feedback from a showing like, “This home didn’t have enough bedrooms for my clients” or “The house was too far away from my client’s place of work.”  These responses are more reflective of the buyer’s needs and not the home itself.  Despite the great photography of a home posted online, being there in person is the only way to determine if the home will work for a buyer. In these cases, there is not much a seller can do to respond to the feedback; the home just did not fit the buyer’s needs.

In some cases, this type of feedback from a showing can warrant a change through a price adjustment. While sellers may not be able to move the home off a busy road or increase the size of the backyard, they can make adjust the listing price to compensate. This usually occurs when a home has been on the market for longer than average and has received consistent feedback concerning the same thing.

Feedback from a showing about things to consider changing

Once a house has been on the market for awhile, a pattern might emerge from the buyers’ feedback on the property. For example, one or two singular remarks about the condition of the carpet in a home may not be enough to ask the seller to consider replacing the carpet.  However, once there have been several showings at a home and the feedback is consistent concerning one particular feature of the home it may be worth the seller’s time to consider fixing the item.  

A pattern of similar comments about a fixable situation within a house indicates that this situation may be preventing buyers from making offers.  Your local REALTOR® can help guide you in making the decision of whether or not to address the concern. If the repair is too costly for the sellers to replace out of pocket, then the sellers can consider offering a credit for the repair that will come from the profits of selling the home.

No feedback

Sometimes, despite texts and calls, REALTORS® don’t get feedback from a showing on a property.  When this happens it just indicates that the buyers are not interested in the property or do not have anything constructive to share about it.  I’ve had cases where the buyers did not even go inside the home during their scheduled showing time because they realize the house is not for them based on location.

While no one enjoys hearing negative things about a loved home, feedback from a showing does play an important role in selling a home. It can help to gauge how buyers view the list price of the property, the general condition of the home, and what potential improvements could be made to the house.