make him/her/them a former seller

if it's your listing, it's time for a face to face meeting.....

I would drop them.   Just not worth my time

Ask them what you need to do differently to make it easier for them to show - and then use their answer as the entry into the conversation about the need to show the property to get it sold.

Have the seller make a commitment to WHEN they will permit the house to be shown.

Then, limit showing to those slots.

Make sure you record the number of times the showing instructions were accessed so you can communicate, 72 people wanted to see, but only three could meet the scheduling limitation.  At some point in time you will need to demonstrate your marketing is working and a 96% denial of showing availability just might extend market time.

Due to 4 incredibly large, overly enthusiastic dogs, I had such a situation of limited showing capacity. This house still sold for $40,000 than anyone believed possible. 

Use this to create scarcity. Do not frame it as 'Handling the seller." 

Now, if you are one of those agents who does not attend showings, this may not turn out well for your seller.

We have "the talk" if that fails then I don't need their business.

First I nicely remind them that our listing contract has verbiage where they agreed to make the home available for showings and try to understand why they are not doing so. If it's a problem that they won't address with me, I terminate the listing. You can't sell it without showing it... and if they don't let you show it and you don't sell it, you become the "bad guy" due to a situation you didn't have control over.

Have a face to face meeting and find out why they do it. If they are not serious about selling you should just cancel the listing if they wish..

It happens here all the time.  You write in the confidential remarks part of the MLS information sheet "difficult to show".  Apparently they don't want to sell.

Without access there can be no sale and in today's market it's critical. There are lots of reasons for this to occur but not too many good excuses. Parting ways is how I might have to handle it.

It should be addressed at the time of listing. 

If this a change -- then I would start asking questions.

What has now made a difference?

Are you still interested in selling?

Their answers will tell you.  

Have a chat, " showings or termination, which is it"?

Richard Weeks Might be time to terminate the listing. They obviously don't want to sell.

I'm an exclusive buyers agent (EBA) and I really hate when this happens. I usually call the listing agent to see if there is something that can be done to get my clients in the home. Often the listing agent is aware of the situation and is trying to deal with it. 

Free them, or shall I say; free yourself. They are costing you time and money

You need to call them and ask why?

Fish for the Motivation

I tell them that every showing that is turned down is a missed opportunity. I also ask them if they are serious about selling the home..............

This seems to be something that should have been addressed during the listing appointment, and spelled out in the listing agreement. If the seller does not hold up their end of the agreement for a good reason (illness?), that agreement needs to be modified.  If seller is simply not holding up their end of the bargain, agreement needs to be terminated and that seller freed to not sell their home with any one of a million other agents.  :D

I would sit down with them face to face and have a serious conversation (heart tot heart and head to head) about the home selling process and their motivation to sell. I would establish rules of engagement and advise if they are not followed, I will need to release the listing.  I cannot facilitate the sale of a home if people are not allowed to see it.

Depending on why...I may just drop them.

If the seller is your client, it's time to sit down and discuss the details of the listing and their motivation. Maybe they are afraid of the reality of moving, maybe they aren't motivated to sell. It's time to put your "psychologist" hat on and get down to the nitty gritty, then make the decision on whether or not they will remain your client. 

You have to discuss this, and I agree with Barbara Todaro it should be done face to face. It that doesn't work, it's time to move on.

I will have to have a talk about their motivation and see if their plans have changed since their actions tend to indicate that.

It doesn't happen if you take the time to get this lined out before listing. However, it is something to walk away from if they violate the agreement.

If they don't show their home, it won't sell.  If they don't understand this, it might be time to terminate this relationship.

Give us more to go on as there has to be something else going on.  It can be many reasons but need to know what was was discussed at the time the listing was taken.  The only time I have ever had this happen is in a divorce when one did not want to move.