Soft Selling My Home

Today began as cold and gloomy, typical for this time of year in NJ. A few days ago a couple pulled up to our house, walked to the back yard and then came up on the front porch and looked around. When I opened the front door, they looked surprised, and a little embarrassed that someone was home. " Can I help you?" was all I could think to say. It was answered with, "We're so sorry, the realtor said you were on vacation ... we have an appointment to see your home this week." I replied,"Oh, that lovely... it's no trouble, this is a great house." The man looked at the peace sign that is decaled upon the window of my front door and said, " I like the vibe already" as he pointed to it." I told them I looked forward to their return, and they headed back to their car. I tried to be as nice as possible, as they seemed like a nice couple, and yet I had not yet heard from any realtor about an appointment. I could have gotten annoyed at the obvious snoop, and yet I had a pretty good vibe of my own. Oh well, no harm in looking, I thought, and went about my usual day. I did an extra cleaning yesterday, just in case... and today I got the call that indeed someone requested to view my home! Then a second call by the realtor came about 10 minutes before show time, saying the client would be late, so I felt a momentary dash of hope. This scenario played out a few times before, and the viewings were actually cancelled. The realtor actually arrived about 15 minutes prior to the client, and did his own little inspection. I told him that I would go to the porch with a book, as my usual way of getting lost, and he said, "no way, you're welcome to stay here, it's cold and rainy out there." I was happy to be welcomed in my own home. Now for some reason I decided to bake brownie cookies today, and so there was a nice aroma coming from the kitchen. I made a cup of tea for the realtor to go with the cookies he was eating, and when the client came, I was delighted that he asked for a cup of coffee. The old grind and brew was put into action, as the men wandered to basement, and then upstairs for a good look-see. When they came down, tea, coffee, and cookies were served informally, and some positive chatter commenced. I got to answer questions about the age of the house, how long we were here, the fact that the brook in the back does not flood etc. It was the first time I got to join in the the selling fun. I also let the client (who loves Victorian homes) know that another couple wants to buy the house so they can rebuild it into something more "updated", and wouldn't it be a shame (not lying here). The client said he liked it as is, and would return with his friend to get her take. Hurray! Not only did I get a good vibe, I got to play salesperson and hostess! So, I will remain cautiously optimistic, and will make sure I keep hot coffee and homemade cookies on hand.