After you win the listing, you need to start preparing your seller clients to show their house to potential buyers. realtor.com recently shared some great tips for sellers when it comes to open houses. Beyond their advice that the seller never stay for the open house, they also shared some of the things sellers do (or don’t do!) that drive away potential buyers. Take a peek at the seven things that can destroy your chances of a successful open house below and share this advice with your seller clients to ensure your next open house is a success.

1. Leaving Pets Behind
   Letting pets run free during an open house is an easy way to annoy potential buyers, who may not like pets and definitely can’t picture themselves living in any home that once housed dogs or cats.
2. Turning a Blind Eye to the Kitchen
   Don’t ignore this very important room! A disgusting kitchen will turn off buyers. That doesn’t just include dishes in the sink and a messy counter – we’re talking about the dishwasher, the fridge, and more. Eager to learn about their potential new home, people will be nosy and investigating these areas during an open house. Prepare accordingly – clean and store dishes and make sure there is no old tuna fish stinking up the fridge!
3. Not Hiding Dirty Bath Towels
   All used bath towels should be stored in a closet. Not only does this make your bathroom look well-staged, it also ensures that the dirt and germs from the open house’s parade of potential buyers will stay far away from a towel you intend to use again! If possible swap in a clean set of decorative bath and hand towels.
4. Cleaning Solo
   Now is the time to hire a professional cleaner! Not only will a pro scrub all the out-of-the-way spots you might miss (think baseboards and switch plates), they can also help eliminate odors and messes that go back years. Just listen to this advice from Alice T. Chan, a home stager in California. She shares, “I’ve worked on houses where it was a complete hellhole, no joke: dogs, cats, smoke, the whole nine. We had it spit-shined so it would show well, and no one was the wiser.”
5. Not Getting a Second Opinion
   After cleaning and staging your home, a blunt-tongued neighbor or friend can be a godsend. Over time, you can get used to smells and odors that can linger, even after a thorough cleaning. According to Chan, “you need a neutral third party who will tell you like it is, not what you want to hear.” Don’t be offended – the objective is selling the house so it’s time do whatever it takes.
6. Not Maintaining the Yard
   While it might seem tempting to neglect your side yard, don’t. Not only does a messy yard look terrible, but objects strewed every which way can also be dangerous. You don’t want a potential buyer tripping on that old garden hose! One more tip? Unless it’s trash day, keep your trash cans and recycling out of sight.
7. Forgetting to Stash Personal Items
   Home stagers recommend “de-personalizing” your house for a variety of reasons. Not only do you want potential buyers to be able to visualize themselves living in the house, but you also don’t want to give buyers any personal information about you that they could use against you during the negotiation process, such as age, reasons for needing to sell, and more.

Share these tips with your seller clients and make sure the home is in tip-top shape before opening it up to potential buyers! Read more tips and tricks on the realtor.com blog. 

Adapted from a recent article on realtor.com