Finding a home often begins with browsing online and driving through neighborhoods to get a feel for what you want and what's out there. The next important step involves actually getting into a home. You can do that a couple of ways — through open houses and private showings.

Open Houses

If you tour a home at an open house it's important to understand that the agent holding the open will be representing the seller (or working on behalf of the seller's agent) so be careful about revealing too much if you’re seriously interested in the home. That agent will most likely pass along your comments directly to the seller. If you end up making an offer later, the revealed information could become detrimental in negotiations. Your price, terms and motivations should only be shared with an agent representing you as a client. (More on agent representation here.)

Also, you may be asked to sign in at an open house. In general, it's a good idea to just tell the seller's agent you're already working with another agent, if that's the case. (If you are working with me to find a home and are required to sign in, feel free to indicate your representation by including my name, phone number or email on the sign-in sheet.)

PRIVATE SHOWINGS

Another great way to see homes is through private showings with your real estate agent. You can set up single showings or multi-home showing tours to fit your schedule. Occasionally a 24-hour notice may be required to view a home, but I have often gotten clients in that day, or very close. If a home is vacant, a showing request might be automatically approved, requiring no prior notice. Showing tours can also be created when you want to view several houses at once. Setting aside a few hours to tour a half dozen houses is efficient and can be especially helpful for making comparisons among similar properties.

Once is often not enough. Second and third showings of homes are not at all uncommon. Clients sometimes want to return with family, friends or contractors to get second opinions, cost estimates on projects, feedback, etc. If there's time to do so (with no known competing buyers), it's a good idea to take a second look, just to be sure.

Heidi Swanson is a Realtor® based in St. Paul, Minnesota. She writes a blog to share information on a variety of real estate related topics including buying and selling, market conditions, homeownership trends and more. Reach her at heidi@lyndenrealty.com or 651-503-1540.