Our world has changed at lightning speed, and that goes also for the real estate world as well. What you need to consider is that many sellers, since the time that covid-19 began, are a little reluctant and very nervous to let buyers into their home. Some of them have gone so far as to pull their home off the market and wait until a later time to sell their home. 

Due to this, may sellers have decided to do virtual showings. This will reduce the amount of physical buyer visits to a home, and a seller will feel more comfortable in keeping or putting their home on the market for buyers to enjoy. 

I totally understand there are buyers who are still would like to see the home in person. Nothing beats the “scratch and sniff” test. When a seller agrees to show a home to a buyer through an in-person-visit a buyer needs to be prepared for some possible restrictions the seller puts on the buyer and their agent. 

Some sellers have asked to show the home only to adults over the age of 18, or only buyers who have been given a fully approved pre-approval letter and they have viewed the seller’s disclosure statement. Buyers also have been asked to take their shoes off during a showing, to wear booties over their feet or shoes, to wear gloves during the showing, and to sanitize their hands prior to entering the home. Also be prepared that the sellers asked the REALTOR for you not to open any drawers, touch light switches, or doorknobs.  

In our high-tech world, many sellers have installed interior and exterior cameras to be certain a buyer and their agent do what they have instructed them to do. 

Any buyer who does gets upset about the seller restrictions needs to understand that you don’t know the seller’s current situation and the sellers also had been instructed to thoroughly clean and disinfect their home and any high touch surface before a buyer enters their home.