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Open Houses Revisited

This is my 3rd blog this week on open houses...Open Houses: Make Them What You Want and Open Houses - To Do or Not To Do. I promise this will be my last word on the subject (for the time being).

I currently have my home for sale...so I decided on spur of the moment to hold it 'open' all day...I started at 10 a.m. and ended about 3 p.m. and had a total of 16 people come though...only one was with a Realtor. I received many contacts from this...a couple commented that 'it's hard to find open houses anymore'...this tells me no one is out there to pick up these prospective buyers. I could not have received 14 (I'm subtracting from total lookers the Realtor/client who came though) buyer possibilities by sitting in an office all day or anywhere else for that matter.

Granted this was an 'easy' open house...I didn't have to pack up all my stuff and set it up again in another place, nor did I have to pack it all up again and take it home. I could do whatever I wanted when no one was in the house (but I don't think there was even 5 minutes without someone here), I did not even have time to fix me some lunch!

I regularly farm my area too...some of the lookers were neighbors and just 'looky-lous'...doing this gave me time to build rapport with them...let them know I was the expert in the area, and even though I'm moving I will still be around when they are ready to sell.

This cost me virtually NO money...I set up signs that was it. I did not get a buyer for the house, but I picked up some for other houses and that's just as good. I also was able to make an appointment with a FSBO for this next week. I would encourage you to give open houses another chance! You have nothing to lose and you could make a seller very happy! Life is good!

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Posted by Mary Warren, Las Vegas Real Estate on 08/04/2007 09:56 PM

Comments (11)

marysellslv, open houses, marketing

11 Comments on Open Houses Revisited

Hmmm, you got my attention. I have often toyed with the idea of opening houses for a full day or daily for a short term period. I am not a fan and dread them for the most part, but this could be a better way to do things. Day at the Office or Day at an Open House...

08/04/2007 10:10 PM

by Wendy Montoya, Waco Realtor® for Waco Homes! (Century 21® Towne Adams)

You can also try open houses on different days of the week. Isn't Saturday morning the time of the garage sale?

08/04/2007 10:19 PM

by Birmingham Alabama Real Estate, Stephen Wolfe (LivingInBirmingham.com)

Mary, as you've probably seen by my blogs, I'm a big believer in OHs. Although I've gotten away from them for the past year or so, they're a great way to generate activity, and activity breeds business.

Now I have to ask, where did you get your OH signs & folding frames?

08/04/2007 10:25 PM

by Ryan Hukill - Edmond Realtor® (Hukill Group - Paradigm Realty)

Oh gads, I've had these signs for 20 years...I don't remember where I got them...the frame is all metal, and stands up well in the wind if a rock is put on the bottom part. I'm pretty sure I got them at a sign company...where you have your 'for sale' signs done.

08/04/2007 10:29 PM

by Mary Warren, Las Vegas Real Estate (Keller Williams Southern Nevada)

Stephen...Saturday mornings are great time...I did one last fall when our community had a community wide yard sale...I had 30+ people through that day. The communities next yard sale is scheduled for Oct. 6...I'll be holding something open that's for sure (if I have a listing in the community at that time)

08/04/2007 10:32 PM

by Mary Warren, Las Vegas Real Estate (Keller Williams Southern Nevada)

Wendy, it works...it really does...give it a try!

08/04/2007 10:32 PM

by Mary Warren, Las Vegas Real Estate (Keller Williams Southern Nevada)

Too bad I'm on vacation! Or I'd be doing one today. And you're right - you don't need to sell the place to have it be a success!

08/05/2007 06:55 AM

by Patricia Kennedy (Evers & Company)

Congrats on your traffic-- I'm suitably impressed! I just spent 2 hours sitting at one of my vacant listings. My daughter read half of her book, we watered all of the flowers, cleaned a few spots on the floors, wrote a to-do list for tomorrow, called a bunch of little girls for a birthday sleepover, planned a menu, wrote a list for future blogs... Oh! and negotiated our way through an offer and a counter offer. Did I show the house? NO.

08/05/2007 06:52 PM

by Chico CA Real Estate by Sandi Bauman, Chico CA Realtor (Chico Homes Real Estate)

WOW Mary!! Great job on your open house. I have not heard of holding a home open all day. Sounds like a great idea...especially in conjunction with a big yard sale.

08/05/2007 07:01 PM

by Huntsville Alabama Real Estate Agent, Kimberly Grant (Exit Leon Crawford Realty)

Pat - on vacation????? I'm jealous! No vacation for us this year....daughter is getting married and it's draining our extra resources!

Sandi - See....lots of work done though! Even if no one came through you still made the seller happy...plus you got a a lot of work done that you would of had to find time to do anyway :) Nice to have company in the form of your daughter with you! Teaching her how to be a Realtor?

08/05/2007 07:03 PM

by Mary Warren, Las Vegas Real Estate (Keller Williams Southern Nevada)

Kimberly...last year when I did the one during the community yard sale it was AWESOME! This year I may start it when the gates are unlocked (gated community) about 7 a.m. I'm sold on having them in the morning after the one last year and the one yesterday (which was not during a yard sale)

08/05/2007 07:08 PM

by Mary Warren, Las Vegas Real Estate (Keller Williams Southern Nevada)

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