Do you think Open Houses are a waste of time? The verdict is divided on this - some agents swear by them, others refuse to even consider doing them.
Well, I'm going to do my best to encourage you to do an Open House for each and every one of your listings - at least once.
So... here we go:
Why You Should Do Open Houses Reason #1 (of 4):
It makes your seller happy.
Don't discount the power of a happy seller. And don't let the Old Fogies tell you it's possible to convince a seller that Open Houses are a waste of time. If you don't do at least one Open House for your seller, he WILL doubt your commitment to the sale of his home. Oh, sure, he may agree with you to your face that Open Houses aren't necessary and that they only benefit the agent, blah blah blah, but when his house hasn't sold and he's getting nervous, he WILL remember that YOU haven't done an Open House yet.
If I had a house on the market and my agent hadn't done an open house, he better not come asking me for a price reduction unless/until he does! Why? Because I'm pretty sure I'd feel he hadn't yet done HIS part to sell the house. Reasonable? Maybe, maybe not, but if I, as an experienced real estate agent feel this way, you better believe your sellers do, too.
Did you catch that? I think it would take some nerve to ask your seller to reduce his price if YOU haven't done the most visible, most expected form of real estate marketing there is - the Open House. If your seller feels you're shirking Open House duty, he might not be nearly as open to your suggestions as to what HE needs to do to help get the house sold.
A happy seller is a cooperative seller. And an uncooperative seller is a nightmare. You pick.
Tomorrow - Reason #2 to Hold Your Listings Open
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