Over the years, I have shown thousands of homes to prospective buyers. As a new agent, I was unsure how to begin, but I quickly developed some fundamentals that have stood the test of time. Although showing access differs from market to market, here are the basic procedures that will work in most cases. Use this outline to craft your own personal agent’s guide to home showings.
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Your guide to home showings
1. Make sure you know how to use your eKey
- New agents should practice on a few homes or empty lockboxes before showing any homes.
- Learn all the features of the eKey and who to contact in the case of any difficulties. As an example, SUPRA has an 800-number you can call if your key is not working correctly.
- If you are showing the home very early or later than normal, confirm with the listing agent that the lockbox showing hours will accommodate your showing. If the lockbox has been preprogrammed for different hours, you will not be able to gain access even though you were scheduled correctly. Listing agents often forget that their lockboxes are timed.
2. Prepare your buyers
- Ask them to get the list of homes they would like to see in adequate time for you to prepare an effective tour. If you know of a property you believe they should see, add it to the list.
- Limit the tour to a maximum of five properties — attempt more, and your buyers can encounter information overload, mental fatigue, reduced focus and even lost opportunity.
- Let them know that you will not be showing other homes they may spot while on the tour — it is often impossible to set up access once you are on the road.
- Communicate the need to dress comfortably and the fact that they may be required to remove shoes or put on booties in some of the homes they view.
3. Set up access for each property
- Carefully read the MLS Instructions for Showing and the Confidential Agent Remarks section before reaching out for access. Over the years, I have fielded hundreds of calls from agents asking questions that would have been answered had they chosen to read my carefully crafted instructions.
- If possible, line the homes up in a logical order so you will not be backtracking. Occasionally, access may be limited to specific time frames — set up the tour to accommodate.
- Pre-program the homes into your GPS or Google Maps in order of showing so you can go from one to the next in succession. You can also use a routing app such as RouteXL or SoloRoute.
- Communicate any time constraints to the buyers, so they know they will have to be at specific properties at certain times.
4. Set the stage before arrival
- Print both client and agent listing sheets for each property. Staple both sets of sheets in the order you will be viewing the properties, and give the buyer sheets to the clients when you meet.
- Carefully review the agent sheets to learn each property’s highlights, neighborhood context and any must-see features. Carry the agent sheets with you as you view each property to ensure you have the property information at hand to answer any questions.
- Confirm where the lockbox is located to avoid wasting time looking when you get there.
- Make sure your lockbox key has been updated.
5. Driving
- Some agents prefer meeting their clients at each property instead of having them ride along.
- Some buyers, especially with children in tow, will want to go in their own vehicle.
- I have always preferred having buyers in my car — it is a great time to get to know them better and also discuss the homes visited.
6. Be on time
- While some homes will be vacant, in some cases, the occupants will have vacated the home for your showing.
- Be prompt. If for any reason you will not be able to make it, let them know right away.
7. Notify potential occupants
- Over the years, I have discovered occupants in homes labeled “vacant,” and in other cases, even though we had appointments, I’ve come across individuals who are sleeping, etc. Always ring the doorbell and shout out “Realtor” to alert anyone who may be there.
8. Facilitate the showing
- Instruct your clients to go through the home, letting them know you will be following.
- Give them adequate time to view everything properly.
- Do not act as a tour guide — your job is to observe them as they view the home so you can determine their level of interest.
- Do not use your phone to access email, text, etc., while showing the property.
9. Explain privacy issues
- Like it or not, some sellers will be monitoring activity. Your buyers need to know a seller may be listening in (sellers are required in some states to notify visitors that they are being monitored, but some fail to provide proper notice). Alert your buyers to hold comments until they are away from the home.
- Do not hold conferences on the front porch or any other areas where a video doorbell is present — it is very likely that the seller has been notified by the proximity detector that you are there and can then listen to any conversation you might have.
10. Children
- If they have children with them, set the rules before entering the first home.
- Children should remain with their parents at all times, and if they are very young, should be carried so they cannot get into anything.
- Remind the parents that children must not touch anything. This can be particularly difficult if you are visiting an occupied home where children have left toys out.
11. Point out key features
- If you have taken time previously to identify your client’s specific wants and/or needs, then point out anything that supports their wish list.
- Do not point out obvious things such as kitchens, baths, etc. — assume that they have enough intelligence to know what they are looking at.
12. Point out potential issues
- Alert them to potential issues you spot. While most agents are not home inspectors, you should be able to see adverse property conditions.
- Be honest about limitations or issues. If something may need work, frame it as an opportunity rather than glossing over it.
13. Invite their observations with open-ended questions
Ask questions like:
-
- “How do you see this space fitting your needs?”
- “On a scale of 1-10, how does this home measure up? Can you explain your rating?”
- “Is there something about this home that makes it a non-starter for you?”
14. Use storytelling to help them imagine life there
For example:
- “You could watch sunsets from this balcony.”
- “Picture snuggling up in this space for a movie night!”
15. Stay neutral on price until later
- Keep the tour focused on lifestyle and amenities, not price negotiations.
- Avoid naming a specific price while showing; instead, tell them, “Rather than guessing what price this may sell for, I’d like to prepare a full market analysis for you once I’m back in my office and then provide input on pricing — will that work for you?”
16. Respond to questions
- If the agent info sheet has the answer, give it to them on the spot.
- If not, let them know you will get the answer for them as quickly as possible or call the listing agent right away to see if they can answer the query (assuming, of course, that they answer their phone).
- If an immediate answer is not available, I will pull out my phone and let my clients know I am sending myself an email as a reminder to get the answer as quickly as possible.
17. Wrap up with next steps
- Summarize key takeaways about each home viewed.
- If it looked like they loved one particular property, ask them if they would like to go back and view it again. If they really like it, ask, “Do you want me to write up an offer?”
- When finished with the tour, answer lingering questions and confirm follow-up steps (sending a market analysis, setting up another showing, getting answers to specific questions, writing an offer, etc.).
18. Close up
- Before leaving, quickly check every window and door to make sure they are secure.
- Unless told differently by the listing agent, turn off all the lights.
- Confirm that the exit door is properly locked, and then put the key back in the lockbox. There is nothing worse than getting a call from the listing agent asking if you have the key in your pocket.
19. Text the listing agent
- If the home is occupied, let the listing agent know you are done and thank them for the access.
- Text any additional questions you or the buyer may have.
With a bit of practice, showing homes will become second nature. Utilize this real estate agent guide to home showings, take the time to set yourself up for success from the very first showing, and things will quickly fall into place.
This article was last updated on Aug. 27, 2025. Writer’s note: Credit to Brad Stave, Keller Williams, Tacoma, Washington, for some of the outline.
Carl Medford is the CEO of The Medford Team.
