Why is it so hard to get real showing feedback—and what does the feedback you do get actually mean?
If you’ve sold a home before, you might remember getting pages of comments after every showing. Today, sellers are lucky to get a sentence—or anything at all. Here’s why that’s happening, why AI isn’t replacing agent insight anytime soon, and how to decode the boilerplate feedback that does come in.
Why Showing Feedback Has Become So Difficult to Get
The lack of feedback isn’t because agents are lazy or buyers don’t have opinions. It’s largely a behavior shift inside the Realtor community.
Many buyer’s agents are increasingly hesitant to leave written feedback because:
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Fiduciary duty concerns: Buyer agents are trained to protect their client’s negotiating position. Sharing thoughts about price, motivation, or objections—especially in writing—can feel risky.
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Confidentiality fears: Even neutral comments can be interpreted later as revealing too much about a buyer’s mindset.
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Industry caution (borderline folklore): There’s a widely held belief among agents that someone, somewhere, was sued over feedback. Whether or not that’s documented, the fear alone has changed behavior.
The result? Less feedback, more vague language, and fewer insights for sellers.
Why AI Is Not Replacing Agent Feedback (Yet)
You may hear claims that “showing feedback is obsolete” because AI can tell us everything we need to know. There’s some truth here—but also a big gap.
Where AI is helpful
AI tools are excellent at:
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Tracking online behavior (views, saves, showing volume)
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Analyzing market data and pricing trends
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Identifying patterns across large datasets
These insights are valuable. They help answer what’s happening in the market.
Where AI still falls short
AI cannot replace the human sniff test, such as:
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Why buyers lingered in one room but rushed through another
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Whether hesitation was emotional or financial
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If “price” is the real objection—or just the safe one to say
AI doesn’t attend showings. It doesn’t read body language. It doesn’t hear tone or hesitation. That interpretation still requires an experienced agent who understands buyer psychology.
AI can enhance feedback. It cannot replace it.
Decoding Common (and Vague) Showing Feedback
When feedback does come in, it’s often short, generic, and frustrating. Here’s what sellers should understand about the most common phrases.
“Too much work”
What it sounds like:
The house needs major renovations.
What it usually means:
Buyers want something close to move-in ready. Even small cosmetic issues can feel overwhelming when compared to cleaner, more polished listings.
“Floor plan doesn’t work”
What it sounds like:
The layout is objectively bad.
What it usually means:
Buyers couldn’t easily picture their lifestyle in the space. This could be furniture placement, room flow, or how the home lives compared to others they’ve seen.
“Priced too high”
What it sounds like:
The home is overpriced.
What it usually means:
Buyers don’t see enough value at the current price compared to alternatives. This is often tied to condition, presentation, or comparison homes—not just the number.
“Top 5, we’ll be back in touch”
What it sounds like:
Strong interest.
What it usually means:
The home made the shortlist—but something else ranked higher. Price sensitivity is often the unspoken factor here.
“Just doesn’t work for this buyer”
What it sounds like:
Meaningless feedback.
What it usually means:
The buyer didn’t feel compelled enough to keep the home in contention. This phrase often masks objections around layout, updates, light, or value—without committing to specifics.
Other Common Phrases Sellers See
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“Needs updating” → Buyers see cosmetic work they don’t want to tackle.
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“Didn’t feel right” → Emotional disconnect (often tied to presentation).
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“Not competitive with others we’ve seen” → Value gap, not necessarily price alone.
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“Too small / too closed off” → Perception issues that staging and positioning can sometimes solve.
None of these comments should be taken at face value. Context matters—and interpretation matters even more.
The Bigger Truth: Feedback Is Secondary to First Impressions
Here’s the reality most sellers miss:
👉 The best way to handle feedback is to minimize the need for it.
That means:
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Pricing correctly from day one
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Presenting the home to compete with the best listings, not the average ones
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Positioning the property so buyers don’t have easy objections to latch onto
Once buyers decide early that a home isn’t “it,” feedback rarely saves the situation.
Final Takeaway
If you’re selling, don’t rely on generic feedback—or AI dashboards alone—to guide one of your biggest financial decisions.
Work with an experienced agent who:
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Still makes the effort to obtain feedback
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Understands why agents hesitate to give it
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Knows how to decode vague comments into real strategy
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Focuses on positioning your home correctly before the first showing
At the end of the day, putting your best foot forward from the beginning matters more than chasing feedback later—and that’s exactly how we approach every listing.
If you’re thinking about selling and want your home positioned to win from day one, let’s talk.
