Overview
A condo showing happens either at a scheduled appointment or, less commonly in Miami, an open house — many buildings actually prohibit open houses for condo units, so it's worth confirming with your association before your agent plans one. Preparing well before the first photos are taken, staying flexible on showing times, and staying out of the unit during showings all meaningfully improve how buyers experience the property.
What Is a Showing?
A showing gets potential buyers into your listing, either through a scheduled appointment or an open house. Open houses let buyers drop in at their convenience; scheduled appointments require more coordination between both sides but give you more control over timing. Many Miami condo buildings don't allow open houses at all, so check with your association before your agent plans one.
Preparing Your Condo
Your agent can connect you with renovators, decorators, or stagers who specialize in getting a unit market-ready. Since the very first "showing" is really the online listing photos, prep work should happen before those are taken, not after. Before photography:
- Clean deeply
- Paint some or all of the unit if needed
- Handle minor repairs like caulking
- Make major repairs if your budget allows — replacing dated counters or appliances, for example
- Stage furniture to highlight the unit's best features
- Remove personal items like family photos
- Declutter every surface and storage space
- Reorganize closets and pack away excess items
- Shampoo carpets to eliminate odors, if applicable
- Warm up the space with curtains, pillows, or a cohesive color scheme
- Upgrade lighting or bulbs to brighten rooms
Just before each individual showing:
- Turn on lights and open blinds for maximum brightness
- Take out the garbage
- Make the beds
- Clear and dust surfaces
- Take pets with you and put away food bowls
- Hide valuables
- Turn off your computer
- Set a comfortable temperature
- Put out fresh towels
What to Expect
- Don't be present during showings: Buyers move around more freely and comfortably without the owner (or tenant) in the unit. Plan to be elsewhere when showings happen.
- Stay as available as possible: Turning down showing requests, even inconvenient ones, risks losing motivated buyers who move on to the next listing instead. If a tenant occupies the unit, agree on specific days and times in advance to keep this from becoming a friction point.
- Feedback will come in, good and bad: Don't take negative feedback personally. Use it constructively — it may point to an adjustment worth making to the property or the price.
- Coordinate closely with your tenant: If the unit is occupied, you need the tenant's cooperation both for access and for keeping the unit presentable between showings.
