Can showings happen while my mother still lives in the house?
Yes — with rules that protect her, not the schedule. Scheduled windows only, real notice, no surprise lockbox visits, and a standing plan for where she goes during showings so she's never sitting in the kitchen while strangers discuss her wallpaper. I'm present for showings when the situation calls for it. Her home doesn't stop being her home because there's a sign coming.
That said, the honest advice: if the sequence can put the move first and the sale second, everything gets easier — for her dignity, for the house's presentation, and for everyone's sleep. Showings around a resident parent are workable; an empty house is peaceful.
Tell me the constraints and I'll build the showing rules around her. That part isn't negotiable from my side either.
I wrote this answer, and I stand behind it. I'm Chris Deutsch, a Minneapolis Realtor (MN #20382264). Twenty-five years of walking these neighborhoods, checking basements, and sitting across kitchen tables from people making exactly this call. I re-check every answer and date it — this one was last verified .
If your situation is more specific than the market, that's the one worth talking through. Email me at chris@lakesarearealty.com.