56% of home sellers have recording devices active during showings — here’s what agents tell buyers to do

A recent LendingTree survey found that 56% of home sellers had recording devices active during showings. Meanwhile, 72% of recent homebuyers said they either saw or suspected recording devices during a home tour.

While many homeowners install cameras for legitimate security reasons, real estate professionals say buyers should assume they’re being recorded — and adjust their behavior accordingly.

Assume every home tour is public

Smart-home devices have made it easier than ever for homeowners to keep an eye on their properties. But when that home goes up for sale, those same cameras and devices can change the way buyers should approach a showing.

“I tell buyers to keep their thoughts to themselves,” Cara Ameer, a bi-coastal real estate agent licensed in California and Florida with Coldwell Banker, told Moneywise. “Don’t show too much emotion one way or another. Keep a poker face and politely go through the home taking note of things.”

The biggest risk isn’t that a seller knows you noticed the new kitchen or liked the backyard. It’s that a few offhand comments could reveal information you would normally keep private during a negotiation.

Saying something like “we need to be out of our current place soon,” “we’ve been looking for months,” or “we could probably go a little higher” may not feel like a big deal in the moment. But to a seller, those comments can offer clues about how motivated you are — and how much room they may have when it comes to price or other terms.

That doesn’t mean buyers need to avoid talking altogether. Asking questions and discussing the home’s features is part of the process. A buyer should feel comfortable asking about the roof, renovations, appliances, or anything else that helps them decide whether the property is right for them.

The conversations to save for later are the ones that reveal your strategy.

Real estate agents often recommend buyers wait until they’re away from the property before discussing:

• whether the home is a favorite or “the one”
• how much they are willing to spend
• how quickly they need to move
• what they plan to offer
• whether they would consider waiving conditions

Those conversations are better saved for the car ride home or a private discussion with your agent.

Ameer told Moneywise that buyers should be careful not to linger outside the property, either. “Don’t stand at the front door or even in front of the house having a conversation about the house,” she says. “The seller could be watching on their camera and audio could possibly be recording what is being said.”

The rules around recording conversations aren’t always simple, either. Video cameras are common in many homes, but laws around audio recording vary by state, and some jurisdictions require consent from everyone involved.

For buyers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: don’t assume a showing is a private conversation. Enjoy the tour, ask the questions you need answered, and save the negotiation talk until you’re no longer inside the home.

What buyers should never say during a showing

If you’re touring a home you really like, now probably isn’t the time to announce it.

Real estate agents have long warned buyers against revealing too much during a showing, but smart-home technology has made that advice even more relevant.

The safest approach is to keep conversations focused on the property itself and save anything related to your offer until you’re outside or somewhere private.

That includes talking about: