It is common now for sellers to have a front door camera and other cameras around the property, many of which include microphones. Buyers should assume that what they say in and around a home may be seen or heard.
We represented a seller whose front door camera picked up a conversation between two buyers after a showing. One loved the house. The other was less certain and talked about changes they would want to make to the floor plan. It was an honest conversation. In this case, the seller heard it. A few days later, the home received multiple offers. The final numbers were very close. When it came time to decide, the seller remembered the uncertainty they had heard and chose another couple.
What Buyers Give Away
Audio can be picked up as far from the home as the driveway and front walk. Those are often the exact places where buyers and their agents stop after a showing and start talking openly about what they liked, what they did not like and what they might be willing to pay.
Another client overheard a baby monitor conversation where a buyer told their agent they had been looking for eight months and nothing came close. They did not want to lose it. Their offer came in under asking. The seller countered at full price and did not move, and the buyer agreed. There is nothing wrong with loving a house. The seller just does not need to know how much you love it before you negotiate. Comments like "this is the one," "I do not want to lose this house," "we can stretch if we have to," or "nothing else we have seen comes close" may all be true. Those comments should almost always remain private.
Criticism Can Matter Too
Buyers need to evaluate a home honestly. Maybe the kitchen needs work, or the floor plan does not function the way a buyer would want. Those are reasonable things to discuss. But sellers are human. They may have lived in the home for years, raised a family there or made many of the choices a buyer is commenting on. A negative comment can feel personal, and it can stick.
Save the Real Conversation for Later
We do not suggest buyers walk through homes without talking. Ask questions. Look carefully. Talk about whether the rooms work. Notice condition issues. Think about what you would change. Just be careful about what you say about price, dislikes and your appetite for the home. The same applies in front of the listing agent, who is paying attention and will report back.
Have that conversation somewhere the house cannot hear it.
Your Trusted Advisors,
Peter and Tregg
Copyright © 2026 Peter Maurice and Tregg Rustad. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of this content is prohibited.
