Every Wednesday morning for the past five years, a dozen or so realtors have piled into cars and spent a few hours touring Traverse City homes for sale. It's a quiet, behind-the-scenes weekly routine that buyers and sellers likely never hear about -- but one that gets homes noticed and sold.

The tours enable agents to learn up-to-date, on-scene info about the local market and that helps sales, according to Karly Wentzloff, president of the local chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors, which arranges and conducts the tours.

“It gives us very valuable feedback,” Wentzloff tells The Ticker. “It’s like getting 10 or more showings in a single morning. From 9 to 11 am we visit between seven and 12 homes that are listed on MLS. Each week it’s a different area. One week we go out on Old Mission Peninsula, another we’re on the east side, the next we’re right in town.”

The Women’s Council of Realtors (WCR) is a national organization of 12,000 real estate professionals; the Traverse City chapter has about 100 realtor members (male and female).

“We just toured an agent's gorgeous higher-end listing,” recalls Wentzloff. “These were clients of hers who had mentioned when she was visiting that they had decided this house was just too big for them but they loved it. When the agent was at tour she was discussing with another agent a possible pocket listing of a condo not yet on the market. The agent was able to show it, sell it and now has this beautiful property for sale too. Networking in advance of clients is building all of our business.”

WCR "affiliate members" like bankers and contractors act as hosts at each property; many of the logistics are coordinated by realtor Sue Kelly. “She does a great job with the tours,” says Wentzloff. “It takes a lot of coordinating.”

Wednesday mornings begin at 8:15 with a 45-minute “Haves and Needs” meeting where each agent who has a listing on that day’s tour answers questions about the properties. The meeting also offers affiliates a chance to introduce themselves and their services to dozens of real estate pros. By 8:50am, the group hits the road. On a recent tour of homes southwest of town there were nine properties visited, ranging in price from $130,000 to $579,000.

Listing agents are required to have sign-in sheets and feedback forms at each home; is the price too high? Does the home need improvements? The feedback provides "valuable input from fellow agents," according to Wentzloff.

The tour is available to any Traverse Area Association of Realtors (TAAR) member, though WCR members may submit unlimited tour listings at no cost. Non-WCR member realtors pay a $15 fee per home.

“The tour is often the most productive two hours of the week, working to develop market and inventory knowledge,” says Wentzloff. “And it’s very friendly. You might think it’s competitive, but we’re working together. We don’t care what brokerage you might work for.”