Having your house on the market involves a certain invasion of your privacy. Real estate agents will be previewing it and showing it to buyers with some regularity. While you want to make your home reasonably accessible to the real estate professionals and their prospects, you don't want to run the risk of stepping out of your shower just as a broker is ushering in buyers.

In many areas real estate agents use a handy little tool of the trade called a "lock box". When a property is occupied, the agent first calls to let the owner know when they will be coming by. If no one is at home, the agent can get into the house with a key stored in the lock box.

The other extreme of accessibility is to require a day's notice before a showing, and to insist that your real estate agent be present at each one. This will eliminate a lot of the inconvenience to you, but it may also eliminate a lot of showings of your house. Whatever arrangements you work out, keep in mind that the easier you make it for real estate agents to open and show your home, the easier it will be to sell it quickly.

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