In real estate, changes to showing appointments are sometimes unavoidable. Here are best practices for cancelling and rescheduling showings to ensure professionalism and respect.
Cancelling a showing
If you or your client cannot attend a scheduled showing, cancel the appointment as soon as possible. This courteous action respects the occupant’s and listing agent’s time and opens the slot for other prospective showings. For reference, CREB® Rule Part II 7.02 (a) outlines this policy.
Unable to attend a showing with your client?
If you cannot attend a booked showing with your client, inform the listing agent in advance and obtain authorization for another agent to accompany the client. When notifying the listing agent, provide details such as:
- Who will access the lockbox
- Who will oversee and secure the property during the showing
- Who to contact for feedback on the showing
- Who to reach out to if the showing needs to be cancelled
Reminder: Authorization to access a property can only be transferred with the listing agent’s permission. As outlined in CREB® Rule Part II – 8.04, agents must obtain approval before accessing a property.
You can learn more about conducting showings and showing etiquette in CREB®’s Residential Basics Course.
- Click here to access Residential Basics on-demand, or
- Visit the Upcoming Courses page on CREB®Link to find and register for a live session.
Seller needs to reschedule or decline a showing?
If the seller or tenant requests to reschedule a showing, notify the buyer’s representative immediately, per CREB® Rule Part II 7.02 (b). Should you need to decline a showing request, offer an alternative time to view the property.
For more information on working with tenants, check out Tenanted Property Starter Package.
The 24-hour rule for showings
The 24-hour rule applies to the rescheduling of showings. All proposed rescheduled dates and times by the listing agent must be within 24 hours of the showing request being made. Tenant-occupied properties must be made available for showings as required under the Residential Tenancies Act.
For more on the 24-hour rule, please visit 24 hours to show: What you need to know.
Tips for showings management
Stay updated on listing appointments by opting into ShowingTime text notifications. For more information, visit Opting into ShowingTime text messages.
Did you know CREB® provides training on ShowingTime as part of its Technology 360 course (Part 1)?
- Click here to access Technology 360 on-demand or,
- Visit the Upcoming Courses page on CREB®Link to find and register for a live session.
Need help troubleshooting?
- ShowingTime: 1-800-379-0057
- SentriLock: 1-877-736-8745
Let’s support one another in managing showings with these best practices, demonstrating respect and professionalism in every interaction!
{ 1 comments…}