What should you do with your pet during a home showing?

When an agent is showing your home to prospective buyers, you want all conditions to be as favorable and friendly as possible. We all love our pets, but we all know people who are not animal lovers. Suppose your prospective buyer is afraid of dogs?  Trust me, they will be way too nervous to look at your home and think about buying it, when all they can think of is ,"I hope that dog doesn't bite me".

People can get very nervous around cats, too. I've had dogs, and I've had cats, too. No problem with me,  but I do remember one seller client that  I had a number of years ago, who had a pretty vicious cat. A very experienced agent who was only previewing the home, called me in utter panic from her cell phone, and told me that the cat had cornered her. She  shrieked on the phone for me to come save her. I still have a very solid visual of that event.  I walked into the house, and saw the agent literally shaking with fear while she was standing on a chair. I did  all I could not to laugh, and it really wasn't funny at all to her. She was truly scared. No matter how harmless you know  your pet is, please remember there is always someone who is petrified of that pet.  And, no..  that agent never stepped foot in that house again. She was a very good agent,, too. My client lost an opportunity with all of HER prospective buyers. So yes, some agents are afraid of animals, too. Don't risk losing a showing because of it.

Some people are so allergic to animals that they couldn't step in your house without bringing an epi-pen, Well, they won't be prospects for your home, but many people do have allergies to dander and will be uncomfortable minutes or hours after they see your home.  So, do two things religiously if you have a cat or dog in your home, and it's on the market. 1) Remove the pet from the house before showings- that could mean putting your pet downstairs in the cellar for a short time, outside on a leash, removing the pet altogether from the premises, or putting your pet in a crate. 2) If your pet sheds, make sure you vacuum more than usual, so as not to distract an allergic buyer.