Do homes really get sold as a result of an open house? The answer is yes. In this challenging market, anything that brings exposure to the features and benefits of a home will help get the sold sign in the yard.
Homeowners have long struggled with the idea of opening up their homes for viewing by neighbors and complete strangers who may be just curious and not yet ready to purchase. However, many savvy buyers enjoy researching neighborhoods on their own after doing their initial internet search for suitable homes. The beauty of an open house is that the listing agent or representative from the listing firm can answer many questions about the home and neighborhood that might not be readily apparent when working with a showing agent.
Yes, some people are just shopping and don’t yet know exactly what type of home they would like to purchase. There are also those who are researching to see what their money will buy should they decide to make a move from their current home. Many “shoppers” want to see how others have staged their homes in preparation for listing their own home. And then there are the neighbors. Why the heck would you want to open up your home for the neighbors to view? The answer is, your neighbors are looking at your home so they can tell all their friends in hopes of having them move to the neighborhood!
The bottom line is open houses are a much needed tool for your real estate broker in the marketing and sale of your home. Super Bowl weekend, ACC basketball finals, the first day of warm weather or local area graduation dates are never good days for attracting buyers to your open house. Rainy days are always hard to forecast but are not typically good for open house sellers and visitors alike.
It was a delightful end of February weekend for the Elizabeth Allardice Team. Three wonderful homes were showcased and I met some very delightful people. Time well spent. Follow my tweets to see which homes will be showcased for open houses next weekend.
