I can name hundreds of ways for Realtors to feel frustrated. Yet frustration is part of ANY job done right. I’m grateful to be irritated by glitches with home sales, rather than by the kitchen forgetting to skip the cheese on that Reuben sandwich for Table Three.
Yet I appreciate this Quora question. Because I have been looking for an excuse to rave about my latest pet peeve as a San Francisco agent: The “shoes off” trend.On brokers tour last week — I kid you not — 11 out of the first 12 homes I visited required “guests” to remove shoes or wear surgical booties.
The purported reason for this is always that the “seller is requesting” it. To which I say “As seller’s representative, you — Mr. or Ms. Agent — should educate your client about why this is a dumb idea.
It is offensive, undignified, inconvenient, ungracious, unnecessary and unsightly.
It says “Dear potential buyer or agent. You are unworthy to enter this pristine environment. Please show us the respect we deserve by taking your shoes off or donning a (nearly always pre-worn) pair of these ridiculous-looking, slippery blue booties.”
Or it says “Yes, we’re asking $5M for this house but the floors are so fragile you’ll have to redo them after six months of simply LIVING in your new home.”
If your property is
- a Buddhist temple
- an operating theater
- outfitted with 100%-organic-honey-coated floors
then, okay, shoes off.
Otherwise: Provide a good doormat. Ask us to doublecheck our shoes for icky substances. Allow us to remove our shoes if it makes US more comfortable. Thank us for our time, interest and effort.