Should you schedule a property showing when it rains? During the green season (or the rainy season, depending on how you want to call it) it rains most afternoons.
Another realtor calls and wants to make an appointment for a property showing of a listing in the afternoon. The reason is that the client can’t make it in the morning. Should we schedule a property showing or should we not?
In Costa Rica, real estate agents do NOT have lock boxes. We need to make the appointments for every property showing, one by one.
Sometimes we find out that the last one on the list cannot make it at that time. Then we have to re-schedule all the appointments again.
When the buyer runs late, it is hell. It’s impossible trying to get back to the schedule or juggling all these sellers all over. They all have better things to do than wait for the agent to show their property, even if they come prepared with the right keys.
It rains during the property showing
Our agent had made this showing appointment and the buyer and buyers’ agent were sitting in the car. Meanwhile, the poor agent was ringing the bell, getting wet under her tiny little umbrella. It was pouring, the wind blowing from everywhere while she is standing in front of the gate. Imagine her holding an umbrella and a cell phone, trying to make the seller aware she was standing outside the gate. 
The poor thing thought something happened to the sellers. The sellers, though they had agreed to the property showing, just decided not to open the gate because it was raining. The property was not shown and another property was sold, owned by someone who didn’t think the rain was a problem.
Do NOT show my property
The same evening, the agent receives an email from the seller with the following comment: If you are a serious realtor, you should not show my property when it rains (the actual email was a lot longer than that).
This gave me the idea to write this blog. Allow me to give you some information here that might be of interest to both buyers and sellers of Costa Rica property.
At what time?
All sellers, as well as the real estate agent, would love to hold a property showing under the best circumstances:
- With the best possible weather (hopefully with a lot of sunshine).
- At the time when it suits the seller.
- The day after the gardener has come.
- And the day after the maid has cleaned the whole house.
- Not during lunchtime.
- Nor during nap time.
- and not during martini time.
- Oh, and after 9 am, please.
Go on vacation?
From June till August it rains many afternoons, sometimes 10 minutes and sometimes for hours. It rains seriously in Costa Rica from September through November, that’s when we probably should turn people back at the airport.
Should we just shut down our Costa Rica real estate business and go on vacation during the rainy season?
Flooding
But what do we do with those buyers who come on purpose during the rainy season, especially when it is bad weather? They want to see if the roof leaks, if the house floods and if the drains work well. Could the house wash down the mountain?
Is it dark?
Is the house dark or light? Do I have to turn on the lights at 4:30 pm every day or when it rains?
It clicks or it doesn’t
If a house doesn’t look nice when it rains, why buy it? A home should look great at any time and any weather, when it rains and when it doesn’t. Every real estate agent knows that you cannot sell a house to a buyer who doesn’t like the house.
The home for sale has to click and it shows in the buyers’ face as soon as you walk in, most of the time. It doesn’t matter if it rains or not.
My advice to sellers
My advice to motivated sellers of Costa Rica property is to make sure their house ALWAYS looks good, no matter if it rains or not.
Look at your house through the buyer’s eyes when it rains and fixes what needs to be fixed. To dark? Make it light. Roof leaking? Fix it.
If it rains too much during the property showing to see the yard and the views but the house looks great, believe me, the buyer will be back for a second visit.
My advice to buyers
My advice to buyers of Costa Rica property is to ask for a property showing of the property you want to buy during the rainy season. If you plan to buy during the dry season, get yourself a home inspector to check out the property.
Contact us now for a property showing, even when it rains.
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