This is one thing that I hate about sales and service in general: when they hover when you just want to be left alone. It could be in a shop, a restaurant or a display home and it really turns me off the experience of whatever I am doing as I'm too busy being annoyed.
And some people are really thick about taking hints.
I think you just hit the nail right on the head, Katana. That might be what my issue is.
I honestly didn't know that sales reps could get in trouble if they don't escort potential customers (although it does make sense and I feel kind of silly not having realized that) and I can appreciate the security angle (again, stupid for not thinking of that, especially since I was so paranoid about it when we sold our house), but I think it's that hard sell thing that sticks in my craw.
We've had sales agents walk through with us - and while *I* would prefer to be left alone to experience the feel of the room - most of the time they have hung back - a little - to give us a chance to walk around, examine this or that feature, etc. - it's the really hard sell approach that has me climbing the walls. (So to speak.

)
What I really can't stand is when the sales agent demands a reaction every.time. they show something to me.
"Oh, look at the size of that bathtub! Don't you just love it?!"
Me: "Yes, it's lovely."
Rep: "What do you think? Don't you just want to buy the house right now? No other company offers the extra jumbo Behemoth
TM premier bathtub like we do. It's included in this floorplan only...."
Me: "Oh." (Actually just wanting to move on to the next room by now)
Rep: "How much do you think this house is?"
Me: "I don't know."
Rep: "Go on. Guess."
And it just goes on and on. I guess my problem is that I need to start using my polite spine to move things along.
The other thing that really irritates me is when (in the past, when we were looking to buy a house for real) the Realtor would walk through with us, and I would make a comment to DH about something, i.e. "The kitchen is nice, but I'm not sure I like the laminate countertops and the tile floor..." and the agent would bust into our discussion and say "oh, but you can replace the countertops and floors, no problem."
I didn't have the nerve to say this, but I wanted to say "oh, really? Are YOU going to pay for it?" Again, I know they have to make a sale, and it may be helpful to point out that if there are only one or two things that are keeping you from wanting the property, that they can be changed, it still bothers me because it's like, yeah, easy for you to say - you don't have to pay for a partial or full kitchen remodel.
That's pretty much why we hope to buy new construction one day. I don't want to have to deal with making changes after the fact.