Appointment Service Options
NetOffer uses Central Showing Service ("CSS") in the DFW area to help Sellers and Agents schedule appointments for showings. CSS is an independent third party corporation who provides a service to the Realtor community in the DFW area and in other areas of the United States. The service that CSS provides is a centralized telephone call center that Realtors use to place appointment scheduling information about their listings so that other Realtors can call CSS to schedule appoitments to show properties.
CSS offers three choices for Appointment Type. Those choices are:
1) Go Show
2) Courtesy Call
3) Appointment Required
1) Go Show - this type of appointment is usually selected when the property is vacant and there will generally not be any issue with scheduling an appointment. Usually the property is either a rental property that is currently vacant or it is a property where the home owner has already vacated.
2) Courtesy Call - this type of appointment is the most common and requires that CSS contact the Seller to notify the Seller that an appointment is being scheduled for a date and time. If the Seller answers the phone and denies the appointment CSS will refuse to schedule the appointment per the Sellers request. If the Seller is not home and does not answer the phone CSS will leave a message, if there is a message option provided by the Seller, and will schedule the appointment for a specific date and time.
3) Appointment Required - this type of appointment is used by the Seller whenever there is a particular reason that the Seller requires positive confirmation of the appointment. Reasons for positive confirmation required can include pets that need to be contained, elderly or infant residents that need special care and notice, valuable art or other possessions that need protection, or other similar types of situations. CSS will not set an appointment until they have received positive verbal confirmation from the Seller that the date and time are allowed.
Access to the property can be either by lock box or by Seller provided access. The most convenient form of access is for there to be a lock box on the door with a key in it. This makes it convenient for the Buyer's Agent to gain access without having to wait for a Seller to open the property. Buyer's Agents often run late for various reasons, and frequently fail to show for the appointment. When this occurs it is not convenient for the Buyer's Agent to notify the Seller in some cases and while this seems rude it often happens. As the Seller, if you require that you be present for showings you will be inconvenienced at times by no-shows.
It is in the best interest of the Seller to make showing the home as easy and convenient for the Buyer's Agents as possible. I recommend that you have a lock box on your door and that you use the Courtesy Call type of appointment.
Some Sellers insist upon having Agents call them directly to schedule appointments. Since this requires that Buyer's Agents track down your phone # and call you as opposed to call the CSS phone # that they have committed to memory it inevitably occurs that some will call CSS even if the MLS instructions are to call the Seller. For this reason we recommend that all Sellers agree to using CSS.
Lock boxes come in two general types:
1) Electronic
2) Manual
1) Electronic Lock Boxes - only available through a Real Estate Agent and require that that Agent use a special electronic key to install and remove the lock box from the door. These are easy for Realtors to operate and are preferred. Electronic lock boxes have an added cost to cover the time required to come to the property for both the installation and removal.
2) Manual Lock Boxes - come in two general types:
a) Spin Dial
b) Punch Number
Either type is acceptable but the punch number is easier for most real estate agents to read and is therefore preferrable. Manual lock boxes are very secure and cost about $30 at Home Depot.
If you have any questions about this article please call Lee Thurburn at 972-470-5814.
CSS offers three choices for Appointment Type. Those choices are:
1) Go Show
2) Courtesy Call
3) Appointment Required
1) Go Show - this type of appointment is usually selected when the property is vacant and there will generally not be any issue with scheduling an appointment. Usually the property is either a rental property that is currently vacant or it is a property where the home owner has already vacated.
2) Courtesy Call - this type of appointment is the most common and requires that CSS contact the Seller to notify the Seller that an appointment is being scheduled for a date and time. If the Seller answers the phone and denies the appointment CSS will refuse to schedule the appointment per the Sellers request. If the Seller is not home and does not answer the phone CSS will leave a message, if there is a message option provided by the Seller, and will schedule the appointment for a specific date and time.
3) Appointment Required - this type of appointment is used by the Seller whenever there is a particular reason that the Seller requires positive confirmation of the appointment. Reasons for positive confirmation required can include pets that need to be contained, elderly or infant residents that need special care and notice, valuable art or other possessions that need protection, or other similar types of situations. CSS will not set an appointment until they have received positive verbal confirmation from the Seller that the date and time are allowed.
Access to the property can be either by lock box or by Seller provided access. The most convenient form of access is for there to be a lock box on the door with a key in it. This makes it convenient for the Buyer's Agent to gain access without having to wait for a Seller to open the property. Buyer's Agents often run late for various reasons, and frequently fail to show for the appointment. When this occurs it is not convenient for the Buyer's Agent to notify the Seller in some cases and while this seems rude it often happens. As the Seller, if you require that you be present for showings you will be inconvenienced at times by no-shows.
It is in the best interest of the Seller to make showing the home as easy and convenient for the Buyer's Agents as possible. I recommend that you have a lock box on your door and that you use the Courtesy Call type of appointment.
Some Sellers insist upon having Agents call them directly to schedule appointments. Since this requires that Buyer's Agents track down your phone # and call you as opposed to call the CSS phone # that they have committed to memory it inevitably occurs that some will call CSS even if the MLS instructions are to call the Seller. For this reason we recommend that all Sellers agree to using CSS.
Lock boxes come in two general types:
1) Electronic
2) Manual
1) Electronic Lock Boxes - only available through a Real Estate Agent and require that that Agent use a special electronic key to install and remove the lock box from the door. These are easy for Realtors to operate and are preferred. Electronic lock boxes have an added cost to cover the time required to come to the property for both the installation and removal.
2) Manual Lock Boxes - come in two general types:
a) Spin Dial
b) Punch Number
Either type is acceptable but the punch number is easier for most real estate agents to read and is therefore preferrable. Manual lock boxes are very secure and cost about $30 at Home Depot.
If you have any questions about this article please call Lee Thurburn at 972-470-5814.
posted by DallasFlatFee at 9:16 PM
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