"The Broker Open House" has changed my Lunch-Time Habits -Ocean City, New Jersey
I'm now in my 21st year in real estate in Ocean City, New Jersey with almost 20 full years in the Northend/Gardens location at #1 Atlantic Avenue on North Street ... that street that divides the Northend and Gardens. Of course, we had "Broker Open House" days when I was there ... but I tended to only go to those locations in and around my section of the island.
By the way, for those readers not familiar with "Broker Open Houses," the idea is that an agent or agency works with a Title Company and/or a Mortgage Person and selects a day where one can visit one or two or more sale properties generally close together ... and along with seeing the sale property, you also can have lunch and possibly a change at a drawing for a prize like a gift certificate or a bottle of wine. Besides going to the sale properties, you also have an opportunity to talk with other real estate agents (always a pleasurable thing to do) and an obligation to help the listing agent by completing a survey regarding said property.
All of this takes place between 12 noon and 2pm. So you also run into title company staff and mortgage people at these affairs. For the individual agent, you take about thirty minutes of your time and get an opportunity to possibly see a property that you haven't been into as yet.
With my May, 2013 relocation to Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty at their temporary location at 909 West Avenue after Hurricane Sandy destroyed their office on the corner of 18th Street and Asbury Avenue; I suddenly discovered that more "Broker Open House" notices were arriving, and with locations south of 9th Street. A number of these open houses sponsored by The Title Company of Jersey involved Goldcoast Sotheby's agents with sale properties in these locations. Of course, I wanted to get out to see these properties.
Well, the result has been a true savings in terms of my personal lunch expenses, a reeducation and update for me on the area south of 9th Street, as well as a better understanding of the entire island real estate arrangement. Of course, I continue to get almost all of my sale listings in the Northend and Gardens ... but I'm still waiting for another somewhere else in Ocean City as well.
The final thoughts about all of this would be to make sure that you get around to these well organized and important property showings, eat a light lunch, and make sure you still get some exercise sometime during the day. And save your lunch savings to buy your wife a bunch of flowers, a nice book, or a little candy when you get enough savings to make it work.
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