About Writing Offers Without Viewing a Home

Writing offers without viewing a home is an article that was written by Elizabeth for another publication. Believe it or not, this was written over a decade ago. This subject is as much an issue today as it was in 2007. — JaCi Wallace

“One of the services I offer my Sacramento sellers is, upon receipt of an offer, I always check MLS to find out if the buyer’s agent had accessed the lockbox. We can tell if the agent opened the box. If we have 10 offers on a home, and 9 of the agents showed it and one did not, the agent who did not show the home is at a severe disadvantage. Because we will tell the seller that her buyer has not seen the home. A buyer must see the home.

Having said that, I did buy a house in Hawaii that my husband did not see. It’s not because he didn’t have a chance to view it, it’s that he wasn’t in Hawaii and wasn’t about to fly over to the island to inspect a property that his Realtor wife had already viewed. But most buyer’s spouses are not like that. Typically, there are two decision makers.

Now, I have asked agents directly if they showed the house and they will say, “yes, the wife saw it.” So then I have to ask: did you go inside? Because I’ve had agents “clarify” when pressed that the wife had driven by. Which is different from what I asked. I was asking if the buyers were writing offers without viewing a home, and Realtors are required to tell the truth under the Realtor Code of Ethics.

Further, spouses will often use each other as excuses. Ever try to pin down a guy to an appointment time and he’ll say, “Let me check with my wife?” That means you’ll never hear from him again.

If you want to sell your home and ensure your buyers see your home before they make an offer, call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors, with RE/MAX Gold at 916-233-6759.

— Elizabeth Weintraub