Selling a home is part strategy, part stamina — and showings are where the two meet. Once your home is on the market, every showing is a chance to turn a browser into a buyer, but it also means living in a home that is always 'ready.' Here is what I tell sellers before the first lockbox goes on.

First, flexibility wins. The more windows you make available — including evenings and weekends — the more buyers can actually see the home, and the faster you learn what the market thinks of your price. Tight showing windows shrink your buyer pool, and a home that is hard to see is hard to sell.

Second, leave the house. Buyers need room to talk honestly with their agent, and they will not do that with the owner standing in the kitchen. Take a walk, run an errand, and let the showing do its work.

Third, keep the home 'show ready' in layers, not perfection. Fresh, clean, and decluttered matters more than staged-to-the-nines. A quick daily reset — beds made, counters clear, lights on, blinds open — does more than a one-time deep clean ever will.

Fourth, open houses are a tool, not a guarantee. They can generate buzz and foot traffic, especially in the first two weekends, but most serious buyers come through private showings. Treat an open house as marketing, not the main event.

And finally, feedback is data, not criticism. If several buyers say the same thing — a room feels dark, the price feels high — listen. The market is telling you something, and adjusting early beats waiting months.

What has worked best for you — private showings, open houses, or a mix of both? And what is one thing you wish you had known before your first round of showings?