Open houses have been a tool for real estate agents for generations. Before the internet, an open house was one of the few ways that a potential buyer could actually go see the inside of a home for sale without having to schedule an appointment.
Those days are pretty much over now, though, because of how easy it is to see the inside of a house just by using the internet. That doesn’t mean that people don’t still do them, though, which is why today I want to talk about the pros and cons of having an open house.
If you are considering having an open house, you should know that it comes with some drawbacks. One of them is that there are a lot of unescorted, unqualified buyers going through the house, and if you don’t watch them they may snoop in places they shouldn’t, such as your medicine cabinet. To make it worse, many real estate agents won’t have control over everybody going through the home. Another issue is that you get tire-kickers going through your home.
“Ultimately, having an open house is going to be your personal decision.”
Of course, there are also advantages to having an open house. You could get someone who is on the fence about buying until they see your house and fall in love with it. If they decide that they want to buy it, that means that the open house actually helped produce the sale.
Ultimately, having an open house is going to be your personal decision. We have found that open houses near busy roads get more attention than those homes located on long, deep neighborhood streets. Either way, though, you will get more exposure by holding an open house.
If you have any additional questions about open houses or if you’re interested in buying or selling, please feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.
