For many people listing their homes, one of the first questions they ask me is, "will you be doing an open house?"  Often we will hold off on hosting an open house right away because truthfully, very rarely will hosting an open house result in their home being sold to one of the visitors.  Most people who are seriously shopping for a home will be looking on the internet to view the pictures and will call to make an appointment to view the home, rather than wait for an open house.  Visitors to an open house are often neighbors who are curious about the house and are not necessarily the most serious buyers.  But, does that mean it never happens?

Absolutely not!  I can say that with complete certainty because I myself purchased a home that I first saw at an open house.  I bought it quite accidentally, walking past the beckoning sign on my way to meet a friend for lunch, and stopping in to check it out on our way home.   I wasn't even looking to buy a home!  And, in hindsight, it may not have been the best impulse buy I've ever made, but that mattered little to the seller who was happy to have a firm offer in place.   For potential buyers who may be on the fence, an open house also allows them to really check out the house in a leisurely fashion, without the pressure of feeling as though they've inconvenienced the sellers.  

 Sometimes, an open house can also be a valuable part of an effective launch of an exclusively listed property- generating excitement about a newly listed property in order to elicit offers immediately after the open house.  So what if some of the visitors are "nosy neighbors"?  They may have friends or family members looking for something in that neighborhood.  Furthermore, if your house looks great, then the neighbor will only have good things to tell others.  Other people will wander in at the very beginning of their home search, before they really know what they are looking for - and they come in to get an idea of what is on the market.   So, under the premise that "any publicity is good publicity", open houses can indeed benefit a seller; it just shouldn't be the only plan for marketing exposure. 

Tracy Robillard

Sales Representative for The Paul Rushforth Team