There are hundreds of articles dedicated to helping seller's agents ready their listings for home showings and open houses. Seller's agents can use these resources to learn how to stage a house, scent or un-scent a room and even serve the most appealing refreshments. But what about buyer's agents? Are they expected to hit the open road with a car full of strangers, a cheery disposition and a printout out of listings – with nothing else to guide them?

Not anymore. We've compiled a list of home showing best practices for buyer's agents. Use these five simple tips to embrace your role as a home tour guide and make your clients feel at ease, ultimately translating into a smoother transaction.

Do Your Homework

Before you head out to look at homes with your clients, be sure you have selected homes that are at least in the ballpark. This refers not only to their budget – although you should definitely be mindful of price range – but also to their personal taste. You don't want to visit five places only to have them turn down three of them on sight. Talking with your prospects to get a feel for their taste and budget before showing them houses will save you both time in the long run. Another efficiency tip: gather all of the listings agents' contact info in advance so you can make a quick call or send a text message if any questions come up during the day.