An Open House is a great way to sell a listing, plus pick up potential buyers to work with, but it can become a dangerous situation if you're unprepared. Here are some tips to help you stay safe during your next Open House..
- Notify the police department and provide them with the address, time of Open House and request a drive by during the time you'll be there..
- Make sure your cell phone battery is fully charged keep it with you, not in your purse or a drawer. Also keep your car keys with you.
- Make an emergency plan, "Various ways to escape if an exit is blocked". Keep all additional doors locked but deadbolts off.
- Turn on the lights and open the curtains. Make sure to lock all doors if you have to go into the basement to turn off or on any lights.
- Make sure that if you were to escape by the back door, you could escape from the backyard.
- When prospective buyers begin to arrive, jot down their car descriptions, license numbers and physical descriptions.
- When showing the house, always direct the prospect, never lead them. Especially into a room where you're blocked in.
- Notify a friend or a relative that you will be calling in every hour on the hour. If you don't call, they should call your cell and if no answer they should call the police. Make sure you answer that incoming call from them even if you are speaking with a customer.
- Knock on a neighbor's door and let them know you are holding an Open House and ask if he or she would keep an eye and ear open for anything out of the ordinary.
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We are strong promoters of open houses and have seen a resurgence of independent buyers taking on the shopping process themselves. Once we have the opportunity to meet, we connect and away we go.....but safety is certainly not to be forgotten.
These are good reminders. I especially like the idea of talking to neighbors for a watch. I had not thought of telling police in advance. I am going to suggest we revsit this issue at our office and talk about what each of us is doing to be safe....Thanks for keeping the imperative in front of the important.
I am always looking for ways to bring more people into our opens....how are you marketing your open houses....what do you think works best.....and what do you think we need to have as an online resource to really make finding open houses easier for prospective buyers? Would love to hear from you and others who are doing opens, believing in them, and working together to make them even better. Team RED Kathy Kleber, S. King and Pierce County, Washington