How to Schedule a House Showing: ttps:www.hauseit.comtips-for-seeing-a-home-without-an-agent br br Reduce Your Buyer Closing Costs in NYC: br br You should email the listing agent directly to schedule a showing. Make sure that you are contacting the correct agent as many real estate search websites make money by re-directing inquiries to agents who have paid to advertise on the site. These sites can go so far as to make the “contact agent” button extremely vague, so that only after you click submit do you know whom you contacted, and only after further digging do you realize that the person you contacted is not the listing agent. br br Use a credible email address to make a good first impression. Ideally, you should use your work email especially if you work at a large, well known corporation. Otherwise, feel free to use a credible personal email address that ideally includes your name in the address and is hosted by a well-known service such as Gmail. br br Demonstrate that you’re serious about buying. You should include a stock sentence or two in every inquiry about yourself and your search. If you’re buying all cash, putting down a large down payment or even if you’re just pre-approved for a mortgage, make sure to let listing agents know. If you’re in contract on your old home and are seriously looking to buy a new place, then let them know. While you don’t need to provide any documentation at this stage, it’s nice to demonstrate to the listing agent that you’re quite serious and won’t be a waste of time. br br Propose a few times that work for you. Doing so will save everyone time and will reduce back and forth correspondence. This is a much better strategy than simply asking when they can show the property. If you’re going to inquire on a listing, you might as well propose a few times that work for you in that initial email. For example, try something like “Would you be able to show it to us anytime this week after 5pm? Or Saturday before noon?” br br Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone. If you find yourself emailing with the listing agent back and forth to try to nail down a time, try calling the listing agent instead. Or better yet, email the listing agent with your phone number and ask them to text you when they’re free to speak. This is much better as very few people pick up calls these days from unknown numbers, even real estate agents. br br Create a calendar invitation once an appointment has been confirmed. Make sure to invite yourself, your spouse and any other co-buyers as well as any agents involved to the event. Set an automatic reminder in the calendar invitation a few hours before the showing to remind everyone to show up. Not only will this be very helpful in terms of scheduling for everyone, it’ll make you look more serious as a buyer as well.