Open Houses Endure Time and Technology
A picture is worth a thousand words… but a photograph simply cannot convey exactly how it feels to walk through a home. Online real estate shopping has been growing significantly, reducing the number of open houses and personal interactions between the potential buyer and real estate agent, as well as the potential buyer and the home itself. Open houses provide an opportunity for both Real Estate Agents and home buyers to expand their horizons beyond staring at a computer screen. Furthermore, it is an opportunity to show your home to potential buyers who might not have seen it through other methods of advertising. Although agents aren’t holding as many open houses, they can still play a pivotal role in selling a home.
At open houses, realtors have the unique opportunity to observe how people react to a home’s features. This helps the agent to define prospect’s interests, and allows them to highlight areas of the property that appeal to a buyer, gaining real-time access to prospects that are in your neighborhood shopping for a home. Some buyers also don’t want to make a personal appointment with an agent to visit a home that interests them. Open houses give these people a chance to browse without too much pressure.
A recent NAR’s survey shows open houses are consistently useful for home owners because it connects them with more potential buyers. Since 2001, 15% of home buyers reported they found and bought a home through an open house or a yard sign. In addition, in 2006, 47% of buyers said they used open houses in their home search, in 2008, the number was 48%.
There are many ways to specialize your open house to achieve the maximum benefit from it. Weekends are generally best, preferably Sunday afternoons. This is when potential buyers are expecting open houses to be held. Once you decide your date make sure it does not conflict with a popular event on television, a major holiday, or local event. You might also alert people in the neighborhood of the open house and urge them to come.
Although people have varying views on whether or not an open house is worth having these days, the benefits can still be realized by all parties involved. Open houses make personal connections between home buyers and agents. These connections are essential in a process that can be such a personal and emotional experience. Furthermore, they increase a home’s exposure to a specifically qualified audience.