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The 15 Minute Open House ...

By Andrea Bedard

Real Estate Agent with Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860 MD594797

March 16, 2014 01:33 PM

A 15 minute open house?! Would that be the speed dating version of house-hunting?

Last Friday I showed a home for sale in Laurel, MD to one of my buyers. She liked it enough to consider bringing her other half by for a look. We noticed a sign rider that advertised an open house on Sunday. How convenient, we thought.

When I provided my feedback to the listing agent (yes, I do that because I believe it's professional courtesy to do so and I also like to receive it on my listings) I gave him heads-up that my clients may be stopping by. Open House Line

Great, he replied, but please make sure they are aware that the open house is only scheduled from 3 to 3.15 pm. Huh? A 15 minute open house? Is that the speed dating version of house-hunting?

I understand his intent, time is money.. the people who want to tour the home will stop by when it's open. However, how many people missed that short window I wonder? In the Silver Spring, MD area it is customary for open house to take place from 1 - 4 pm with some variation.

I have shortened some of my open houses to a two hour window because I saw traffic during the first and last hours but little in between. But 15 minutes? I spend more time touring a home with my clients!

The 15 minute open house. The speed dating version of house hunting?

The listing agent seemed to think (I hope he was joking) that he's setting a trend. I'm not so sure about that. What are your thoughts?

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Patricia Kennedy

RLAH@properties - Washington, DC

Home in the Capital

Andrea, I don't really think that gimmick-y open houses work nearly as well as those that are properly promoted and open long enough for people to see them, and maybe come back with their agent. Most of my listings do, in fact, sell to people who showed up for a well-publicized open house.

Mar 17, 2014 10:59 PM

Richie Alan Naggar

people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA

agent & author

So, you stand at the entrance and the listing agent has a stopwatch and he says Go?

Mar 17, 2014 11:17 PM

Joyce Godwin, Realtor, CRS

RE/MAX Elite Properties; Serving Cypress, Spring, Tomball, NW Houston - Houston, TX

RE/MAX Elite Properties

Interesting. Sound like someone is being lazy! I would doubt there were any open house signs leading to the house either. Wonder what the sellers thinks . . . if they even know.

Mar 17, 2014 11:42 PM

Jill Saddler

Draper, UT

Draper Utah Real Estate Professional - 25 years+!

I think that's a terrible idea - a 15 minute open house? Nuts....

Mar 18, 2014 01:21 AM

Donna Foerster

HomeSmart Realty Group - Parker, CO

Metro Denver Real Estate Assistant

Andrea~ 15 minutes? I've never heard of such a thing. It takes more time than that just get the signs out and set it up. Plus, someone touring the home could easily take more than 15 minutes. Very strange!

Mar 18, 2014 01:21 AM

Adrian Willanger

206 909-7536 AdrianWillanger-broker.com - Seattle, WA

Profit from my two decades of experience

That's a pretty short window, I hope I'm not sure I could justify that to my seller clients.

Mar 18, 2014 02:27 AM

Cristine Bullard

Alpha II - Las Vegas, NV

Buy, Sell, Rent, Invest!

It takes longer than 15 minutes to set up signage. Although my E&O Insurance only covers 3 hour open houses.

Mar 18, 2014 02:49 AM

Amy Steele Realtor SRS CNE NHS MRP LUXE epro

JPAR Real Estate - North Richland Hills, TX

Principal, Amy Steele Estates Group LLC

Not even worth the time to set up for it!

Mar 18, 2014 03:50 AM

Connie Harvey

Pilkerton Realtors - Brentwood, TN

Realtor - Nashville TN Real Estate

I can't see why anyone would do an open house for anything less than an hour. I hope his signs and advertising are VERY clear or he'll be missing most of the Buyers.

Mar 18, 2014 04:33 AM

Joe Graham

Graham Real Estate Group - Naperville, IL

Naperville Real Estate Marketing Specialist

It seems like 15 minutes wouldn't even be enough time for a prospective buyer to tour the home!

Chicago2NapervilleRealEstate.com

Mar 18, 2014 05:26 AM

Sharon Parisi

United Real Estate Dallas - Dallas, TX

Dallas Homes

I have never heard of a 15 minute open house. It takes more than 15 minutes to set up for an open house and put out signs and many people remain in the house for more than 15 minutes.

Mar 18, 2014 06:00 AM

Martha Brown

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Annapolis MD 21403 - Annapolis, MD

Your Homes Around Annapolis Agent

I have heard of those. they are part of a Prade of homes done on a weekend by a listing agent with a lot of listings in one area. All his advertising was geared towards it and he said it has been quite successful. I tried it by using my listings and a couple that were not mine (with permission of course) and did a few that way. Interestingly enough I had different buyers at each home. :)

Mar 18, 2014 06:47 AM

Robert Vegas Bob Swetz

Las Vegas, NV

WOW Andrea ... VB missed this post, great stuff and congrats on the feature!

VB ;o)

Mar 18, 2014 09:20 AM

Lisa Von Domek

Lisa Von Domek Team - Dallas, TX

....Experience Isn't Expensive.... It's Priceless!

Hello Andrea,

Wow - 15 minutes...it really is the speed dating of open houses!

Mar 18, 2014 12:39 PM

Karen Feltman

Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA KW Legacy Group - Cedar Rapids, IA

Relocation Specialist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

I would think that an hour might work better. Especially if there are many homes in the area that are open at different times. I am not sure that buyers are that intent on meeting such strict time windows.

Mar 18, 2014 01:35 PM

Eric Crane -- Your Full Service, Discount Fee Realtor®

DPR Realty LLC - Gilbert, AZ

Greater Metro Phoenix Arizona

complete insanity. it would take me 30 minutes to set up the signs! (I usually hold mine from 10am to 2pm (or 3), so that I can cover both morning and afternoon hours -- making it as convenient as possible for a potential client to attend)

Mar 18, 2014 04:24 PM

Lenn Harley

Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA

Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

HA! One time does not a trend make.

Unless the owner falls for this silliness, I would suspect that it doesn't inspire confidence in their choice of a listing agent.

Mar 18, 2014 09:31 PM

Jeff Fisher

PureWest Real Estate - Whitefish, MT

PUREWEST REAL ESTATE/Christies

Yikes! 15 minutes doesn't even give you enough time to take in the curb appeal or lack of. I don't think that's a new trend that will be catching on.

Mar 19, 2014 12:33 AM

Nora Sims

Northern Shadows Realty, Inc. - Sedona, AZ

helping folks like you since 1978!

Andrea, it takes me longer than that to put my signs up get the house ready for potential buyers to see and visa versa. I don't think that trend will be catching.

Mar 19, 2014 06:52 AM

Andrea Bedard

Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860 - Silver Spring, MD

Fluent in Real Estate & German, M.A. ABR ASP CIPS

That sounds like a lot of effort for just 15 minutes Laura.

I wish I knew how successful the speedy open house was Gerard.

Wonderful Praful, I hope one of them brought your a contract!

Possibly Bob, but 15 minutes is a very short time frame ..

I saw the sign Maria but don't know how else he promoted it. It was listed the Friday before the open.. it doesn't seem like it's enough time to drum up enough interest and create that urgency.

Inna, he is a very busy and successful agent!

Even 30 min seems very short to me Nina.

I like the idea, too, Ann but think I would give it a bit more time.. the house was listed the Friday before the open.

That was his only listing in that community Joe.

Jeff, perhaps the target buyer was the one without an agent ...

Sarah, it's not that he's lazy or too busy..

They didn't go Michael and wrote an offer on a different house instead.

I don't think he had enough time to well publicize the speedy open Pat.

LOL Richie, thanks for the funny visual.

I don't think that was the reason Joyce but maybe I'm wrong.

It does take more than 15 minutes Donna.

One would have to have a very convincing strategy behind it Adrian. In order to create a sense of urgency shortening the open times makes sense ... but 15 minutes?

It does Christine.

I don't think they were Connie, the sign rider just read 3 pm. I don't know what else he did.

See Richie's comment Joe!

It was a first for me, too, Sharon.

Interesting Martha! But that was the only listing he had in the community ..

Thank you VB!

Who knew there is such a thing Lisa?!

15 minutes is just such a tight window Karen .. I wonder how many showed up?

I should give that a try Eric, opening in the mornings. Around here 1 - 4 is the norm but there's nothing wrong with breaking that 'rule'.

Interestingly enough, the agent is a very successful one Lenn.

I hope not Jeff.

It does take quite a bit of time to put them up and take them down Nora .. longer than the speedy open.