Seller Strategies: the Importance of Showing Instructions
This post was original created back in 2017, but has been revised in 2026.
Those first two weeks your property is active on the real estate market / MLS – are important. It’s when the property is fresh to the market with more buzz and the largest pool of buyer eyes will be drawn to the property. You don’t always have the biggest window to capture the hearts of buyer’s to decide if this is the house to call “home.”
In today’s “seller strategy” session, we’re discussing positive ways to improve your pool of potential buyers – by ways of how your “home showing instruction”s are set-up on the MLS (Metrolist / Prospector – main hub for all real estate input in our area – Placer and Sacramento County). There are other ways of course, but this is what we’re tackling in this post.
If you don’t understand the pros and cons of home showing instructions when you’re active and on the market and getting ready to entertain buyer showings, be sure to ask your listing agent, or give us a call if you’re looking to interview a listing agent. Steve O and I, are both full time REALTORs®. There’s no other “side hustle” – we’re just REALTORs and primarily listing agents.
Some of the showing instructions in the video may have evolved, but many facts hold true, the easier the home is to see, the easier it is to sell.The more friction and challenges you create, to not allowing your home to be shown, can backfire on you and limit your “buyer-interested” audience.
Some of options (but limited to) showing instruction options: Vacant with Lockbox Call 1st Lockbox Appointment with the Owner Call Listing Agent Call Listing Office Appointment with Tenant (there are many more, but these are some of the common ones).
There is also a program called “ShowingTime” to assist both buyers and sellers with managing appointments to see the home, blocking off certain times from showings, etc. We can discuss the strategy of using that – yes, it is indeed a really great tool to use, but we do have some downsides that we can discuss in person.
Stay educated and always make smart choices – both in marketing, accessibility (and of course, which listing agents you choose). Short-term discomfort, can possible expand your opportunities to a larger bottom line at the closing.
SAFETY REMINDER: Never allow someone who states they’re an agent, into your home – particularly if there’s no appointment set AND without using the Supra Blue iBox lockbox. That iBox (in the video above) – it tracks the date, time, agent’s name, phone number, company, and email. If you’re in our area and you’re not using the Supra Lockbox – iBox BT LE – you probably picked the wrong listing agent. From a safety standpoint for property access tracking and for showing follow-up, a contractor lockbox (as of 2026) does not do those items.
For California Agents: Help and Tech Tips – Specifically Targeting the Greater Sacramento Area
Agents, do you ever receive contracts on your listings, with page 10 of the RPA not filled out completely, or even worse, with the wrong information? Well let’s not get stomping mad, let’s solve the problem! It’s so simple, you’ll pinch yourself for not knowing sooner. It’s awesome and there will be no more visual mud on the bottom of your agent shoe (Like that tie-in to my visual above? Nice!)
Does this Make Your REALTOR®s Eyes Twitch? Then Share this Post today and help others stop their RPA eye twitches.
If you’re a visual learner, watch the video below. Steve O does a virtual walk through in ZipForms, of how to get “connected” today. It’s SO simple. If you want to simply read up on MLS Connect, that’s fine too – visit this link below for more info and see which California MLS Groups and AOR (Local Associations) are “connected” www.CAR.org/tools/zipform/mlsconnect
From the California Association of REALTORs ® website: “ZipForm MLS-Connect is a free C.A.R. member benefit. ZipFormMLS-Connect® integrates data straight from an MLS system into a zipForm® transaction. This eliminates the need for double data entry for many fields in a transaction.”
“Steve Ostrom and Daniel Allen introduce the new zipFormMLS-Connect® that allows you to integrate data straight from MetroList into a zipForm® transaction. This eliminates the need for double-data entry for many fields in a transaction.” (from Sacramento Association of REALTORs® YouTube Channel)
If you have questions – post a comment below and we’ll be right back with you. Share this post and spread the word about ZipForm® MLS-Connect! There’s so many agents not using this free tool via the California Association of REALTORs® and we need to get the word out.
Property Questions or Showings?916-308-2446 – Homes@RosevilleAndRocklin.com – REALTORs Steve + Heather Ostrom
