Top Tips For Showing Homes In Cold Weather

Cold Weather Showing Tips – What to Do Before and During a Showing

Check the Weather Forecast

The first thing to do is to ensure you know what level of bad weather you are up against. If the weather forecast could be dangerous, don’t attempt to go through with a showing. No sale is more important than the health and safety of you and your client. If bad weather is forecast but you’re confident that traveling to the property is safe, check in with your client to be sure they feel happy making the journey. The goal is for your client to arrive at a showing feeling relaxed and happy, so it’s worth waiting if they’re likely to arrive feeling shaken up by the drive over.

Offer a Virtual Tour

If the weather is treacherous and your client isn’t comfortable driving in the snow to a scheduled showing, offer to give them a virtual tour instead. This way, you still have a chance to sell the property while giving the client the opportunity to stay warm and safe at home.

Before the tour, make sure that all parties involved have communicated the type of app that will be used. Some examples are below:

• Zoom
• Google Duo
• Facetime

Give Yourself Enough Time

The life of a real estate agent is a busy one, and you’ll often find yourself rushing from one appointment to another. Bad weather can make journeys unpredictable and what might usually be a 30-minute drive could easily turn into an hour. To avoid any unnecessary stress, give yourself plenty of time between showings and arrive well ahead of your client. If you are rushing around and on edge, they will pick up on it and feel on edge themselves which can kill their mood.

Make Sure Clients Can Easily Access the Property

Bad weather can make it difficult to reach a property and it could be the case that your client has had a challenging journey to attend the showing. Your job is to make sure there are no additional challenges once they arrive.

A real estate agent should always arrive before their client, and this is especially important when conducting home showings in the snow or rain. Avoid making them wait on the doorstep and watch for your client arriving so you can be at the door ready to welcome them.

Prepare the Driveway

This tip relates to the one above and continues the theme of making sure that the client can easily access the property. Some homes you plan to show may be vacant, and after a recent snowstorm, these properties may not have been shoveled.

Ensure that the driveway and any paths leading to the property have been cleared of snow so your client can arrive safely. Likewise, if there are any steps up to the property, make sure they are cleared and salted to avoid any potential accidents.

Clear the Entryway of Any Clutter

Once inside the property, ensure that the entrance to the property is clutter free so your client can easily make their way inside rather than being stuck in the doorway in the cold. It’s also advisable to make space for your client to place any items such as coats, hats, and scarves so they aren’t stuck holding them throughout the viewing. If there is no space for these items in the entryway, offer to take them from your client and neatly store them somewhere for the duration of the showing.

Offer a Hot Drink

There’s nothing better than a hot drink to warm up with on a cold, blustery day. Offer to pick up a choice of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate for your client, that way when your client arrives they have something tasty and warm to enjoy while you show them around. Even the simple act of offering to pick up a warm beverage is enough to show the client you care.

Be mindful to take their empty cups from them once the drinks are finished so they aren’t stuck holding them unnecessarily. Additionally, be sure that all trash is properly disposed of, prior to leaving the property.

Consider a ‘No Shoes’ Policy

If the home you are showing is currently occupied, consider asking buyers to remove their shoes when they arrive. This prevents dirt and slush from being traipsed through the property which is unsightly and unsanitary. If the property is vacant, you may want to allow your client to keep their shoes on during the showing, but take a moment to mop and vacuum the floors before any further showings take place.

Stage the Home for Cold Home Showings

As already mentioned, creating a cozy atmosphere will go a long way to making a property feel liveable in bad weather. Keep lighting warm and opt for lamps and candles instead of harsh overhead lights, and if there is a fireplace, having it lit will create a beautiful ambiance to contrast the bad weather outside.

If it’s cold enough, speak to the seller to request that the heating will be on. If a buyer is shivering throughout a showing they will associate the property with feeling uncomfortable which could put them off making an offer.

Make the Property Emotionally Appealing

Once all the physical ‘staging’ elements are in place, it’s time to think about making the property emotionally appealing. The aim is to get your client into the mind-set that the home could be theirs. 

After you’ve shown them around, let them wander by themselves then invite them to sit and relax while you make conversation about what they like to do in cold, wet weather. Do they like having movie nights? Do they like to host cozy dinner parties with friends? Do they have kids who love building snowmen in the backyard? Guiding them towards thinking about doing those activities in the property you’re showing might help them get into a buying frame of mind. This is part of some of the best practices for home showings.

Have Listing Photos Taken in all Weathers

As a good real estate agent, you should be committed to giving potential buyers a realistic impression of a property. If you only have photos of the property on sunny days but the area gets a lot of rain or snow, you aren’t showing the true nature of the home and its environment, which could be misleading. By having photos on the listing that shows snow piled high around the property or bare trees in the yard during fall, your client will know what to expect and won’t be put off by attending a showing during bad weather.