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BONITA SPRINGS — While halfway through viewing properties with buyers a few weeks ago, the buyers asked to cancel the remainder of the showings that were booked on the schedule. They actually had a plausible reason. The remaining homes were only one-story residences and because of their hobbies and lifestyle, they had just realized that they needed a two-story home so there would be more places for them to spread out. The one-story homes just weren’t fitting their criteria for the amount of people that would be living in the home.

Two of the remaining properties were posted as and verified as vacant prior to showing. The third property had tenants living in it. We stopped in and I chatted with the tenants, explained the situation to them and thanked them for their efforts and accommodating the showing.

A followup phone call was placed to the brokerage to let them know the showing was canceled and that the tenant was notified and thanked. The listing agent was really grateful, actually she said thank you about a half-dozen times. I’m sure she’d been on the wrong end of a phone call from an angry owner or tenant that suffered through a no-show appointment.

Just about every real estate agent has been on the wrong end of one of those phone calls from their disappointed seller. Months and maybe even years of a home being on the market fills many sellers with disappointment and maybe even a little anxiety. They really get their hopes up when someone decides to schedule a showing appointment. When they get ditched they feel like their date didn’t show up to take them to the big dance.

In this market, there are a few certainties that owners can usually count on while marketing their home to sell it. Sellers should probably expect at least one low-ball offer and not be shocked when they get one. Sellers will have an appointment scheduled for a real agent to show potential home buyers and nobody will show up. A classic no-show without even giving a courtesy phone call to cancel.

Ask any real estate agent that is helping buyers find a home and they will be able to share with you all sorts of examples of how or why it happens. Some common reasons for no-shows are: The buyers just didn’t show up, the buyers didn’t like the way a home looked from the outside and didn’t want to go in or maybe time simply ran out. They had to be somewhere else and had to suspend showings because they just couldn’t fit the rest of the homes into the schedule.

Sometimes, appointments have to be canceled and it is understood that life gets in the way of the most carefully made plans. It’s only one minute out of everyone’s day to call and let folks know that you won’t be coming.

Who would not show up at the dentist or the home of a family member with a newborn after saying that they were on the way? That would be just wrong, rude and inconsiderate, right?

Whether you’re the buyer or the buyer’s agent there are a few thing you might not realize as you drive from home to home. Customarily, in the Southwest Florida area, an appointment is required to see a home whether or not someone is either living in the home, renting it or it’s vacant. The agent makes an appointment for a time frame, for example, Tuesday between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. The appointment is confirmed with the homeowners or tenants so they know to expect them and, hopefully, tidy up the place. This also means:

■ The owner will likely know if nobody shows up.

■ The lights may be on and the home is ready for the tour.

■ Someone may have called off work to get things organized for the showing.

■ They’ve arranged for or hired someone to walk the dog for that hour.

■ They might be sitting in a neighbor’s house killing the time while they’re waiting.

■ They’re sitting with their newborn baby in the car around the corner or pushing a stroller around the neighborhood killing time.

Buyers and agents need to know that the sellers and tenants of the homes they are viewing are still people with their own schedules, families and pets to care for.

Sometimes a buyer gets in the neighborhood and they just aren’t “feeling” it. Just because they aren’t feeling it, doesn’t mean everyone can’t handle killing a minute on the phone giving the homeowner’s agent a courtesy call. The agent can then let the sellers know to turn the lights off and blow out the candles.

Unfortunately, if you’re a homeowner that has had this happen, there isn’t much recourse besides complaining to your agent. Most agents try to straighten the situation out and get to the bottom of things but that’s usually about as successful as trying to herd cats. To my knowledge, there aren’t rules or ethics laws against bad manners and thoughtlessness.

A seller's agent can go out of their way and ask other agents to be mindful of showing times and to call if they’re running behind, canceling or had a change of heart. Unfortunately, if the call is never made to let you know that the buyers have canceled the appointment, it’s like getting all dressed up and having nobody to dance with.

Chris Griffith is a real estate agent at Keller Williams Elite Realty in Bonita Springs. She writes weekly for the Daily News and daily on her real estate blog at www.lifeinbonitasprings.com. If you have a question about local real estate or Bonita Springs, e-mail her at chris@bonitaspringsagent.com.