Once your home goes under contract, you’ll need to decide how you want to handle future showings. While your property is available for anyone to purchase, the listing status is marked as Active. But once you accept an offer, we have two options for updating the status:
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- Active/Backup – This tells buyers and agents that your home is under contract, but you are open to receiving backup offers – which means you are still open to showings.
- Pending – This signals that you’re confident in your current contract and are not considering additional offers or showings.
What Happens If You Choose Active/Backup?
If you decide to keep your status as Active/Backup, it means you’re open to receiving backup offers and possibly entering into a backup contract. Your home will still appear in online searches, and agents may request showings for interested buyers.
While backup offers aren’t common, they do happen—especially in competitive market or if the property is particularly appealing. If you go this route, it’s important to keep your home in show-ready condition. This doesn’t mean you need perfect staging every day, but it does mean keeping things clean, decluttered, and ready for a last-minute showing. If an agent calls with a request, you’ll want to be able to get the home looking its best quickly.
What Happens If You Choose Pending?
If you mark your home as Pending, it means you’re not interested in further showings. The market will see your home as essentially off-limits, and agents will know that you feel the current contract is strong and almost certain to close. This means you’ll be able to relax a bit and maybe even start packing.
How Do You Decide?
The best choice depends on your home, your contract, and the market conditions:
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- If the market is hot and backup buyers are a real possibility, keeping your home in Active/Backup status could give you a safety net in case your first contract falls through.
- If your buyer is solid, and you don’t want the hassle of more showings, choosing Pending is likely the better option.
In the end, this decision depends on your specific situation. While the points above provide general guidelines, what’s best for you will come down to factors like market conditions, the buyer’s strength, and your own preferences. The bottom line is that we’ll walk you through your options, offer our insights, and make sure you have all the information you need to make the right choice.