Most buyer agent like to have the house to themselves for showings. However, this needs to be weighed with the benefits vs. inconveniences to sellers. If sellers are physically challenged or young children pose scheduling challenges for showings then sellers being home for showings can be considered. When I have sellers who are anxious about showings I work with them to come up with the right balance of marketing their home with what works for their family priorities. It’s ideal to approve every showing but not always possible.
Rather than say “no showings after 7pm”, it might work better to allow them but plan to be home with the baby’s bedroom off limits.
Tips for sellers who need to be home:
1) welcome the agent and perspective buyer and let them know who is home and that you are open to questions should they arise; deflect questions to your agent as needed
2) answering questions can build rapport with a buyer – perhaps about garden plants, or neighborhood make-up or amenities
3) be responsive but not intrusive to the agent or the buyers – they should feel like you are “almost not there”
4) try to restrict your family to one area during the showing; when the weather is nice perhaps this can be the deck/backyard
5) have the areas of the home you are not in show-ready; lights on; doors open and picked up
Second-showing – always leave the home
These should be identified as second showings when contacted for approval of the showings.
For second showings, sellers ideally should arrange to leave the home so the buyers agent and buyers can take the time they need to review the property as thoroughly as they desire. Some buyer’s want to measure for possible furniture configurations, explore the exterior of the home in detail, look at amount of closet space more closely and more.
Happy Selling!
Ingrid Friel, Realtor 
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