Do You DO Open Houses?

I held an open house on one of my listings yesterday. I hadn’t been able to do that for a while because the ground was too frozen to place the sign. Yesterday it got up to nearly 60-degrees … YEAH! After February’s weather we were due for a decent day.

Because of the nice sunny day, open house signs sprouted on street corners like the first spring flowers. Agents were working in earnest to try to get THEIR listing sold.

I’m one of those agents that likes to do open houses. I enjoy meeting and talking to people … AND exposing the home to someone who may just like it enough to buy it.

I’ve found that there are two types of people who visit open houses: (1) those that want to see the home and want to gain as much market info as they can from the agent – the people who talk freely; and (2) those that want to be invisible – don’t want to talk – don’t want to be bothered – and don’t want to use the opportunity to gain info.

So here’s a few Open House Etiquette hints:

• First of all, agents won’t bite. You don’t have to be afraid of us. We’re just normal people like you. Treat us with respect.
• If it’s muddy, raining or snowy outside, remove your shoes at the door. The sellers have made sure their home is in good showing condition, so plan to wear easily removable shoes/boots so you don’t track dirt into the home.
• If you bring along your children, please keep them under control and don’t allow them to touch the seller’s belongings. Unlike a builder’s model home, regular homes for sale may have toys in the bedrooms that should be left alone.
• Ask lots of questions of the agent. We have a LOT of knowledge and each agent has their own perspective of the local market or local area. If you ask each agent the same type of questions at each home you visit, you’ll get a broader knowledge base from which to help you make better decisions. You’ll also learn a lot about the various agents in case you’re also shopping for an agent to list your home.
• It’s OK to tell us what you don’t like about the home. You won’t offend us by doing so. In fact, it give us good feedback so we know what might need to be done to address the negative with the seller, and thus, improve the home so it CAN be sold. 
• Be prepared to sign a guest book and don’t play games by putting in a fake name. (We know that you’re really not Fred Flintstone.) We want that info for the security of our seller’s home, and for our security as well.
• Leave your purses in your car. Don’t carry big bags into an open house.
• Now, a special word to the “quiet” people who don’t want to talk or who don’t want to divulge their real name. You may not realize it, but you are throwing up red flags when you act this way. We’re trained to be alert to certain people who may harm us or our seller’s property. It may surprise you to know that your actions may place you in the “suspicious” category, and therefore, we may track your movements even more-so.

Open houses can be a convenient way to view homes in a given neighborhood that you’re considering. It also allows you to compare the prices and amenities of various homes you might be considering for purchase. It will help you make better buying decisions.

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