New here and am interested in reaching out to a couple of sitters to see if we are a good match. If I invite a sitter does that imply that I definitely want them to sit for me or that i’m just exploring options? Don’t want any misunderstandings or hurt feelings.
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Hello, @RBB Welcome to the forum community, that’s a great first question!
This was very recently discussed on another thread (slightly different topic)
Here is my reply on that thread:
This is from my perspective as a sitter, as there is no other way for an owner to reach out without inviting the sitter unless they have already messaged each other regarding a previous sit. But other sitters may have different thoughts and there are many great sitters on the forum who I am sure can also help 
Thank you for that amazingly quick reply!
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@RBB You are most welcome.
If you want to add the link to your THS home listing to your forum profile so that other members can view it here and offer feedback and tips here is how:
https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/how-to-add-a-listing-or-profile-link-to-your-forum-profile
I can also add it for you if you need any help.
Thanks so much! On laptop I got to step 3 but was unable to complete. I will gratefully accept your offer to insert the link!
@RBB All done for you now. If you click on your user name you will see the link and others can also view it. 
HI @RBB - Private invites can be confusing so be clear in your message that you are only exploring options at this stage.
We sometimes get very personalised messages saying that they have seen our profile and really hope we are available to sit for them - I would be very disappointed if we agreed to one of these and then were later declined.
Others we get are very general, with no names and it is obvious that the same message has been sent to numerous sitters. These usually say something like “We are looking for a sitter and you look like a possible option” - With these, we understand it is just a first contact so are not offended if we apply and don’t get accepted.
What I would say also is sending private messages generally does not usually result in a high percentage of confirmed sits so do not be disappointed if you get many “sorry, can’t do” replies.
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Welcome!
As a sitter, I would say your best bet would be to invite but include a clear message that you have reviewed their profile and if they are available, you would like to set up a time for a video call to determine if it would be a good fit for both parties.
That way they fully understand what you want out of the invite.
Dan and Nan
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I received an invite out of the blue that outright said the HOs would “love” for me to sit their dogs and home for six weeks. We’d not had previous contact and I was new to THS, so I hadn’t done any sits and had no reviews. But I figured — common sense — that we’d chat and see if there was a potential fit, both ways.
It’s probably best to not assume that everyone has common sense, though, LOL. I’d suggest sending something like:
We’d appreciate an opportunity to chat via Zoom if you have time and inclination — it would be great to see whether there’s a potential match, both ways. We’re looking for a sitter for our X and our home from X date to X date.
Something friendly, noncommittal and not presumptuous.
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