Yes, I take my kids on showings every now and then. Typically its either with a customer that I have been working with for a while or with a customer that wants a quick showing on the weekend.  I don't think its ideal to take kids on showings, but most of the time its pretty harmless.

My daughter is 6 (Chloe) and she is really good on showings.  My son is 4 (Chase) and he gets out of control.  Today I took them to see a couple homes in Zimmerman.  Of course I had to promise Dairy Queen if they would be good.  For the most part they were good.  Both the homes we looked at were vacant homes that were pretty clean so there was not much to harm.  The buyers had a 1 year old boy so Chase showed him how to run head first into the wall and come up laughing.  Always a deal breaker when the buyers kid breaks their skull...that didn't happen luckily.

I have a couple good stories from showings past that the kids went on.  I was showing a couple a foreclosed house in East Bethel that was in really rough shape.  We get in there and right away Chase yells, "This house is stinky, Yuck!"...He's going to have to work on his sales skills...Later as the buyers were about to leave and we finishing up talking I went to the trunk to put away the flash light and Chase noticed his tee ball bat so he wanted the ball and bat.  Just to keep him occupied for a couple minutes I gave it to him. 

A few moments later Chloe screamed, "There's a bug on my leg daddy!" 

Chase said, "Don't worry. I'll get it!" As he started to swing the bat at Chloe's knee.  Luckily I still have quick reflexes as I dove to save Chloe's leg of a Nancy Kerrigan like beating from her brother.  Everyone laughed and it ended up okay.

A week or two later I ended up taking the kids on another showing at a house in St. Frances with the same couple.  This time we got in the house and Chase says to the buyers, "This house has mice in it!"  Again, very impressive sales skills.  I taught him everything he knows!  That was not a very good house overall.  We again ended up outside and the buyers and I were talking about the options. Chase wandered off to a swing set. Moments later he is screaming at the top of his lungs as the rickety swing set had busted on him and he fell and got scrapped pretty bad.  To top it off he wet his pants.  Normally he just whips it out and pees anywhere (that he did not get from his dad).  So this time as I am saying good bye to the buyers while I have a screaming kid with wet pants. 

Obviously this is why its not the brightest idea to take kids on showings with you if you are a Realtor. Those buyers did end up buying a house with me.  I thought I would lighten things up a bit with this today!  Hopefully you got a laugh! 

Reminder its a great time to buy a home.  I help buyers all of over the northern twin cities area up to St. Cloud.  I am never to busy to help you or someone you know.  For listings see www.thediscoveryteam.com.

To Your Success!

Chuck Carstensen

PS: The best self-improvement tool I have used is Success University.  Visit: www.DiscoverYourSuccess.net