Agents have been calling us asking if showings are down. The answer always is some listings seem to receive more showings than others and it depends on your inventory mix at the time. It is an interesting question though, so we did a little digging into the latest Southwest Florida showing activity in MLS.
CSS (Centralized Showing Service) is the predominant showing system used by Realtors across Southwest Florida. We have reports and statistics we can search on using their system to glean information about showing activity. This data can be useful to Realtors and sellers alike.
Here are two examples. We tracked showing activity in the Fort Myers area for May by price range. The average listing from $195,000-$400,000 saw 4.6 showings. That’s roughly one per week. Look at the $220,000 price range. Having a home listed at $220,000 rather than $225,000 saw a 57.29% increase in showings. This tells us that is a price sensitive segment, and over pricing by just a dollar can cost a seller some showings.
Our next example tracked the same zip codes in the $400,000-$600,00 range. We wanted to see if there was a significant change in showing activity. On average, there was about a 25% drop in showings from May to June.
So why is that? Has the market softened? Perhaps. However, it could just be that kids are out of school and people have concentrated on vacations, summer camps, working in the yard, etc. We’d expect showings to be down from season. Keep in mind, we selected the $400-600k price range. Other price ranges may tell a different story.
The point is, your Realtor has access to all this information. For a $300k home in Cape Coral zip code of 33914, it may help to search and compare in 33914 and nearby zip codes. If a trend emerges, this can be useful information to the seller.
If the MLS average is one showing per week in your price range, it can seem like an eternity waiting for showings. There are ways to increase showings.
- Make home accessible. Turning down a showing because the home isn’t ready hurts your chances. We had a seller turn down a showing last week and it cost them. The buyer wasn’t available the next day, and who knows, they could have bought on that day.
- Consider re-positioning your home in the marketplace. Are you in a stale price range? Is your home overpriced? If the answer to either question is yes, you may need to take action.
- Freshen up your home. Consider changing the lighting to make rooms look brighter. Clear out furniture that’s too big for the room to make the room look larger. Perhaps new paint and carpet would make a difference.
- Market your home. The more people who know about it the more chance you have a showing.
- Look at your home through the eyes of a buyer. Sometimes an owner can’t see the dirt or smell the dog because they’re used to it. Tour open houses and see how other sellers show their homes, then compare to your own. It may open your eyes.
- Listen to your Realtor. Arguing your position about how great your home is versus your neighbors won’t sell your home. The market either accepts your home or it doesn’t. If your home shows well, is priced properly, and marketed effectively it should receive offers. You picked your Realtor for a reason. Listen to them. If you’re not going to listen to them, find another Realtor. It’s like anything, doctor, lawyer, Realtor. If you don’t have confidence in them, you won’t take their advice. It pays to take a professional’s advice. It’s what you’re paying them for.
Feel free to search the MLS at www.LeeCountyOnline.com or call us at 239-489-4042 We’ll be happy to guide you through the home buying or selling process. Always call the Ellis Team!
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