There are days when I really like participating in open houses, but then there are days when the only thought that comes to mind is, "Oh, horror... that can't possibly be good..." I especially hate when I have that thought before I even make it to the front door. Its like my internal switches start flickering and the warning bells flare up to put me on hyper alert and color my mood.

You ever have someone overbook, call you in a frenzy, get you to cover their assignment only to discover that home staging is non exsistant, the dishes are still in the sink, the clothes all over the floor and you've interrupted what appears to have been a very heated conversation? When you are greeted at the door with an irate "who the hell are you?' you start to suspect maybe no one knew you were coming. Later on you find yourself wondering what next weekend is going to be like, especially when the sellers rant that every week they send a new agent.

Hmmm...

Great, just great-- you promised to do two... You do not know these people and they do not care to know you. Their house has been sitting on the market for 180 days and they want to know where their listing agent is. You kinda want to know too because there's that little voice in the back of your mind wondering if you landed this plum assignment because you only have eight months on the job and are still relatively clueless as to who really needs some help and who knows when it is time to duck and dodge the bullet. At least your next assignment is at a different address. Yay! You start counting the minutes and eventually migrate to the front yard to get some air.

Next week starts out a little grey. You wonder if it is going to rain. Then that little voice inside your head starts whining, "Do we really have to go?" and flashes "choice" replays of your last assignment when you so foolishly agreed to cover someone else's overbooking. This is usually the point where I take a minute to procrastinate and self debate, as if there are two of me intent on arguing the matter over and either one of us has a real choice. "Of course we have to go," you think, "after all, we advertised this. We can't have an open house if the house is not open." It doesn't really matter if it is not your listing, it is the firm's listing, you said that you would be there, so go. You mapquest then drive out after winning the argument with yourself. You are pleased to discover the place is gorgeous, the people are lovely, they leave you a key and head off so you can do your Realtor thing. They tell you how confident they are that your firm will sell their home and head off. People are out and about. They ask when you will be ready. Then after dragging out the signs and handing out the promotional items you sit on the stoop and watch it rain knowing no one is going to come.

Have you ever had one of those days where you wished you stayed home and did all of your prospecting on the internet? I kept thinking it would have been really nice to have shown the home by appointment only rather than sitting around waiting for who may, or may not come. Maybe I'm just a little tired of the randomness of it all or jaded because the good weather day went to the slob house.

Ever wished you just said no and stayed home? What say you?