Bootie Call Etiquette for Realtors®
People are weird about their feet. And it’s caused one of the biggest dilemmas for realtors hosting open houses: Should you ask prospective buyers to remove their shoes, or slide fabric booties over their shoes?
How do you preserve the cleanliness of the homes you're showing? Or avoid scuffs from boots and dings from high heels or keep floors free of salt from winter boots? (For those of you in warmer climates, it’s like sandpaper on hardwood or laminate flooring. Yeah, makes me squeamish, too.) What about preventing slick spots from wet shoes where buyers can slip and fall?
Here at All Things Real Estate, we're all about the bootie. Shoe booties maintain the integrity of your clients' floors and keep buyers' foot issues where they belong—in their shoes. And that's why we're sharing our best advice to help you start every open house on the right foot.
Bootie Call 101
If you’re scratching your head wondering why this is a problem—of course, buyers should remove their shoes!—circle back to my first sentence: People are weird about their feet.Asking buyers to remove their shoes can make them uncomfortable. So uncomfortable, in fact, they may refuse and not tour your client's home. You can lose the sale. And that's why it's important to put your best foot forward when you make the bootie call. Here's how:
#1 Signal something's afoot
Put a sign outside and let buyers know you've made the bootie call. A friendly, fun, and polite sign will put buyers at ease. Besides, you won't be able to greet every buyer.#2 Offer them a seat
There's no graceful way to bend over and slide booties over your shoes. Provide a chair near the door and make the experience as comfortable as possible.#3 Give them space
Don't create a bottleneck where buyers are lined up or bumping into each other trying to slip in and out of shoe booties.#4 Keep it organized
Baskets or containers for new and used shoe booties help keep things organized and safe.#5 Provide hand sanitizer and towels
Have hand sanitizer, paper towels, and a trash can at the ready. Buyers might end up with mud or dirt on their hands after handling their shoes.#6 Make the experience fun
Booties don't have to be boring. Coordinate them with your brand or your client's decor, or throw some support to your favorite football team. Likewise, with the container and sign.
About Our Booties
- Disposable
- Elastic band around each cover opening
- White tread design on the bottom of the bootie
- Comes in a vibrant variety of colors: black, yellow, orange, red, green, pink, white)
- 5 pairs of shoe covers per pack
- Coordinate your booties with a basket and shoe sign.
Shop our entire collection of booties, baskets, and signs here: https://allthingsrealestatestore.com/collections/remove-your-shoes
