OPEN HOUSE~ How do you feel about it?

There is a growing agreement on this. With the MLS now allowing multiple photos and virtual tours which are getting ever more creative fewer people seem to be going to open houses.

The ones that go now are the nosy neighbors. Those who are about to sell their house and are doing their market analysis, and those who are bored on a Sunday aftenoon and just drive around looking at open houses. Would you believe there are actually people for whom its the highlight of their week to poke around others homes at open houses.

Open Houses?  Love them, but only work when they are marketed correctly.

People searching the internet want to stay anonymous until they are ready to buy.  They will show up to a home that intrigues them if they know a time that they can stop by and see it without having to contact a Realtor. 

Most people who find the Open House by driving by, will be in a different price range than your home or have different needs.  The people coming in from the internet exposure already know the price and basic criteria.  The people coming by because their agents knew about the open house and were told about it, already know the price and basic criteria.

If you properly market an open house to agents & potential buyers, you will get a lot of traffic and be able to cut down on all of those individual appointments. 

Yes, you do get nosey neighbors, but nosey neighbors talk, to a LOT of people.  Use their personality to your advantage and invite them to the Open House!  The more exposure, the better.  Your neighbors could know of people looking to move into their neighborhood (the same neighborhood where you happen to have a home that needs to SELL!).

Yes, the internet is a great tool for home exposure, but a picture is only a picture, it is not a replacement for seeing the real thing.

Let's not forget many realtors simply use open houses to get contact info to make a future buyer list for themselves. Don't you DARE deny it licensed ones!

Around here it's called dropping your sign...hey I'm trying to be helpful to the poster not make friends.

As a potential buyer, I like to be able to see a variety of houses informally, without having to make an appointment or dragging around an agent.  It is also useful to be able to look at a house just to compare it to others, without wasting everyone's time.  You can get a look at a house in a neighborhood you hadn't considered before.  You can look at a house without feeling any pressure. 

I think open houses tend to help the housing market more in general rather than just finding a buyer for an individual house.

I prefer a virtual tour first if i can get it.  And lots of photos and details. Then I would make an appointment if the price was right.

Lisa

How do I feel about Open Houses? "Oh no, now my haouse has to be really clean?"