The Shoe-off Inspection Effect on Property Sale Prices
- Rayson L.
- Jul 6
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 29
At first glance the “please remove your shoes” sign feels polite—even culturally respectful. Yet our two-year Melbourne study of 500 auction campaigns in Melbourne tells a different story: homes that enforced a shoes-off rule sold for $50,000–$100,000 less than comparable listings that let buyers keep their footwear on. That finding echoes what international buyer agents have long suspected: add friction at the front door and you shrink the final cheque.
The practice of getting buyers to remove shoes during open for inspections are increasingly becoming a common sight, especially in the Eastern and South Eastern Melbourne suburbs. While this may seem like an innocent requirement "from the seller", what we discovered seems to suggest otherwise. And it often have a negative effect on the property price.
In this article, we dissect the study and attempts to explain how shoes affect the property price.
Does Shoes-Off Inspection Campaign Hurt House Prices?
Many agents justified this popular practice as "a requirement from the owners". However, we observed some agents were wearing shoes IN the very same house. While a "no-shoes" campaign may seem innocent, and might be convenient for the sellers or occupants, our studies suggested something shocking.
Our studies revealed that a "shoes-off" open for inspection campaign can cost the seller between $50k-100k! Yes, over the 2-year study, our observations suggested that Open for Inspections with a "shoes off" requirement routinely results in an average lower price of $50k, and in one case, costed the seller up to $100k!
At a recent auction for a $3million house in Balwyn North, agency contracts shows a price expectations of $3.5million, not impossible, given our Real Appraisal(TM) price of $3.3million. That house was unfortunately sold for $2.8 million, $700k short of vendor's expectations, and $500k less than our realistic appraisal. The contributing factors? Shoes-off policy is one of them. The Shoes-off Policy is one of the factor contributing to a shock $700k less than expectation.
Why a "Shoes-Off" Campaign Can Quietly Slash Your Sale Price
Picture this: you arrive at what should be a beautifully presented home, only to be confronted by a jumble of scuffed sneakers and sandal odours blocking the entrance. Instead of a warm welcome, buyers meet clutter, discomfort and a whiff of hygiene worry. This is hardly the right way to create a good first inspection for potential buyers. It does not give property buyers a welcoming impression at all.
While some buyers we spoke to understand it might be easier to keep the house neat, many felt disgusted at the pile of shoes at the entrance. Our buyer interviews revealed three consistent turn-off:
Poor first impression – A messy shoe pile screams disorganisation, not prestige.
Health & safety fears – Strangers’ foot hygiene, foot rot, the risk of stepping on sharp debris, even athlete’s-foot anxiety—all put buyers on edge.
Interrupted flow – Buyers fetching, taking off and putting on footwear to see the backyard or garage, broke their emotional connection with the home.
Shoe Anxiety – Buyers worrying if their shoes will be misplaced and even stolen.
This off-putting friction shows up on auction day or when the deal is sealed. Campaigns that enforce a "shoes-off" policy during open for inspection averaged about $50,000 less in the final price. In one well-presented house in Glen Waverley, the discount is huge! It sold for between $100,000-$150,000 LESS than our expectations, despite the auction being held in a perfect weekend weather and strong marketing. Everything about the campaign and auction was well choreographed. The only exception we noted was its "shoes-off" inspection campaign.
Now, contrasting this negative result with a successful campaign run by a different Glen Waverley agency that knows their clientele. This agency usually do not require buyers to remove their shoes at their inspections. The results they achieve for a newish property at Wheelers Hill was outstanding. The campaign was run professionally, do NOT require buyers to remove their shoes and the property was sold for more than double the median price of properties on that street! Yes, the property was sold for $2.62m in a street where the typical price is $1.2m, beating every buyer's expectations.
What the “Shoe Factor” Really Tells Us
Our two-year data set may have quantified the impact, but our buyers advocates in Melbourne have long suspected that bad first-impression friction erodes a property’s emotional appeal—and therefore its price. Day, time, weather, even agent charisma all play a role, yet nothing surprised us more than how consistently a “shoes-off” policy shaved tens of thousands off the final bid. To understand why, we went straight to the source. We interviewed some agents and buyers on their thoughts of the "shoes-off" policy. And here's what they said.
Why Agents Insist on Shoes-Off
Presentation control – Agents claimed that vendors want pristine carpets, especially in high-spec South-East Melbourne homes with pale wool or timber floors. While this might be true for some cases, it is usually the agent's who prefer not to deal with a potential mess of shoe prints in the house.
Perceived luxury – Some agents believe a shoes-off rule signals exclusivity, likening it to boutique retailers that ask buyers to wear gloves. To be honest, we had seldom seen this "glove" being done in Melbourne
Cultural respect – In multicultural suburbs like Glen Waverley and Box Hill, removing footwear aligns with many owners’ customs.
“It helps us keep the floors spotless” one top-performing agent confessed—and admitted sellers often do not have an opinion. While some might be valid concerns, genuine luxury homes, however, do not enforce such no-shoes policies. They provide shoe covers, if the agents or sellers are genuinely concerned. Sales agents for luxury home understand happy buyers are happy spenders and they would rather inconvenience themselves than affect the buyers "feel" for the property.
Why a Shoes Off Policy is Just a Feel-Good Illusion
In theory, banning shoes at an open home sounds hygienic. In practice, it’s anything but. Here’s why:
Bare feet are scentful bio-hazards. Warm, sweaty soles breed bacteria and fungi. Think tinea, athlete’s foot and delightful wafts of Eau de Gym Sock. You get the idea. They’re every bit as capable of tracking nasties through a property as rubber soles. Now this nasties go straight through the socks to your feet.
Cleanliness goes out the back door (literally). Buyers routinely wander from living room to garage, backyard and shed, barefoot or in socks, then bring that that garden dirt straight back inside. So much for a spotless floor.
Agent hypocrisy (here’s the kicker). Watch closely and you will see plenty of agents walking around in their polished loafers while lecturing punters about removing shoes. If they don’t respect their own policy, why pretend it works?
Bottom line: The shoes-off rule offers is more a convenience to the agents than hygiene. Responsible agents should focus on a proper post-inspection clean instead of feel-good gimmicks.
How Buyers Actually Feel About the Need to Remove Shoes
"I'm not Going In" – This is the exact feedback from some of our buyers. And we know the outcome.
Awkward entry – Interviewees likened the shoe pile to a security checkpoint: “I felt like a gate crasher walking into a slump, not a welcome guest.”
Disgusted – Buyers are disgusted at the sight and smell (yes, some shoes do smell) of dirty shoes at the entrance and socks in the house.
Health Concerns – Many buyers are also concerned with feet borne diseases, such as foot rot, tinea, hand-foot-mouth diseases.
Discrimination – Some buyers felt discriminated against as they were made to removed their shoes, against their podiatrist's health advice.
Interrupted flow – Multiple trips to reclaim shoes, taking off and putting on the shoes, for the patio or garage inspections broke their emotional connection to the home. It is disruptive, one said.
Shoe Anxiety – Some buyers were afraid others might mistakenly wear the wrong shoes.
One upsizer summed it up: “If they’re that precious about dirt, how realistic are they with the price?”
Health Concerns of Shoes-off Policies are Valid
In addition to putrid smell, the health concerns of "shoes-off" policies are valid. Recent studies shows the socks in the single piece of clothing item that contains the most germs and yuckies.
Are there Better Solutions to a "Shoes-off" Inspection?
Yes there are. Shoe covers are available. Instead of inconveniencing buyers with the logistics of dealing with shoes, providing shoe covers is usually a more practical and convenient option. It keeps the dirty shoes off the floors while keeping the entrance neat and welcoming and allows the buyer to enjoy the inspection without the inconvenience.
The Take-Home for Vendors and Sales Agents
Agents or sellers could also engage cleaners to clean up the house after inspections, if they are concerned. With a typical campaign having 8 to 10 opens and each clean costing about $200, a $2,000 professional-cleaning cost is peanuts compared to a possible $50k–$100k harm to property prices.
A smooth sales campaign and pleasant buyer inspection experience is the key to higher prices. By removing friction instead of footwear, sales agents keep crowds larger, engagement warmer and bids climbing—exactly what a well-run Melbourne property sales campaign is meant to achieve.
Should Sellers Insist on a "Shoes-off" Inspection Campaign?
Honestly, if I were the seller, I would rather insist the agent NOT run a "Shoes-off" Inspection Campaign, than to risk a $100k drop in property price. I would spend the couple of hundred dollars cleaning the property after each inspection, or provide shoe covers. I would invest in that, to get that extra $100k in selling price. Getting the house cleaned after every inspection does not cost $100k. And of course, as with everything in life, there are always exceptions. There are cases where such properties were sold for a high price. But these are the exceptions rather than the norm.
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