The Difference Between Assisted and Unassisted Residential Real Estate Home Showings

Like most Buyer Agents, I show houses to buyers who want to buy. It's fun and is the meat of what happens to buyers when they start their house-hunting journey; they look at houses, in person. But depending on where you live in the country, this process, whether you're an agent or a buyer, is very different place to place.

There are two basic approaches to selling and viewing homes, called assisted showings and unassisted showings, each very different with unique consequences.

In unassisted showings, sellers list their home with an agent and a company, and puts the listing in the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service). This usually includes showing instructions that are visible only to other licensed agents who have MLS access, providing details about how the home can be shown to potential buyers; dates and times the home is available, animals to be aware of, special conditions under which the seller might be selling (identifying a short sale, or a seller that needs to stay in the house until the end of summer, etc).

Typically, in a lot places in the country, the buyer agent calls either the person listing the home, or in some cases the seller directly, and arranges a date and time to stop by with the buyer to view the house. This gives the buyer time to prepare the house, remove kids or pets, etc. The seller is not at the house, ideally, leaving the buyer and buyer agent free to walk the home without being followed, overheard or otherwise made to feel, awkward, uncomfortable or intimidated.

In assisted showing areas, there's an added component. The listing agent or someone from their office MUST be present to show the home, in addition to the buyer(s) and buyer agent. While this sounds innocuous, it's quite a hassle for the buyers and their agent. It means that in addition to making sure the seller, the buyers, and their agent agree on the time and date to see the home, the listing agent also has to schedule the showing and be present, dramatically reducing the flexibility and short-notice or spur-of-the-moment showings that a lot of potential buyers want.

I have yet to participate in an assisted showing in which the buyers didn't feel awkward. Listing agents typically present a home like it's a treasure trove of unique features, and certainly some homes are that; but for the most part, buyers know what they do and don't want, and make a pretty snap judgment both when they arrive at the home and after about 2 minutes inside about whether this is the house for them. There is little a listing agent can say that will make a buyer who is not interest or moved upon entry to say to themselves, 'well, now that you mention it...' Buyers know what they want when they see it and cannot typically be 'sold.' Real buyers want to see and think and explore for themselves for the most part. Buyers who are just tire kicking tend to ask questions which are less relevant only to seem polite and reduce the tension, in my experience.

Unless you are famous (or infamous) or incredibly wealthy with priceless artifacts in your home, an assisted showing reduces the number of showings, period. Buyers typically want to see homes quickly once they've expressed interest, and coordinating the schedule of another agent in the mix complicates that time frame. If you live in an area with assisted showings as the norm, or your agent insists that will help 'sell' your house, politely decline. Your best selling potential comes in the price, its condition and location, not providing a guided tour. If you are concerned about stealing, spying or other untoward things happening when an agent is in your home with a stranger, keep in mind that strangers will be in your home no matter what, and you should always take precautions to ensure your valuables and private matters are out of the way.

More from this contributor:
Seeing Houses with Your Buyer Agent...An Inside Look at What Happens
First Person: Six Things You Can Do to Make Your Buyer's Agent Love Working with You
First Person: Your Personal Possessions Send Messages to Potential Home buyers