Home : Blogs : Monika McGillicuddy~REALTOR®~ N.H. Real Estate Broker & Trainer : New Hampshire Real Estate Sales and Training Blog

Why bother doing an Open House...

I seriously do not like open houses!

Really I don't!

Jay and I held two of our listings open which means we did a lot of sitting and waiting.

My sellers prepped the house and it looked lovely but only one customer came through and they were looking for a lease rather than a purchase.

Jay didn't do much better at his. He had some drive bys but no one got out of the car.

Maybe sitting and waiting at an open is a waste of time.

Not a new concept at all. But still we do opens, we disrupt our sellers and blow up balloons, put signs up everywhere, post the open house on line, even do some print ads...all to no avail.

I think I'm done doing opens.

Why bother when we have virtual tours and videos posted of all our listings on line.

Maybe my next promotional will be...

Open House- Sunday 12-3 but only if you call

Personally I think I'd rather be on call than sitting and waiting!

Monika McGillicuddy Real Estate Training

NewHampshireRealEstateBlog.com

Prudential Verani Realty

Hampstead NH Real Estate

Follow me on Twitter.com @monimcg

Posted by Monika McGillicuddy~REALTOR®~ N.H. Real Estate Broker & Trainer on 10/05/2008 04:53 PM

Comments (19)

open houses, new hampshire open houses

This post has been included in New Hampshire Information Rockingham County, NH Information
Post is included in group: Live Free or Die
Post is included in group: New England Professionals
Post is included in group: Posts to Localism

19 Comments on Why bother doing an Open House...

OCT

2008

Monika... Open Houses are a tough call.... Recently, which in my world is the past few years I haven't done many but sometimes you do get a winner. More then once at an open houses I could see the spark of interest ignite and was able to bring the buyers to the closing table. I've also had my share of lonely times when no one came but it happens... One recommendation I'd make it cut an hour out of the time, 2 hours is long enough.

I've only held one open house in the past several years - under severe pressure from the sellers - and it was just as ineffective as I remembered. I believe that today's online home searches have replaced yesterday's Open Houses for window shoppers who are looking only half-heartedly for a home.

Hi Monika,

In the past I enjoyed doing open house's, they were great for getting in front of prospects. But in this market are efforts online are more effective than sitting around waiting for them to show up. :)

Monika I would say that most Realtors share your opinion, but Open Houses do seem to be a necessary evil. For some reason Sellers do not think that you are doing your job if you do not do them especially if the house is not getting much activity and has been on the market a while.

I don't know what to say but I'm sorry you had such a frustrating afternoon. There are neighborhoods here where they still bring in visitors but not many; condos seem to work better too. Seriously, I'm thinking my next open house might be hiring someone like Mr. Omelette to come and cook and a mariachi band LOL

You and I have been thinking along the same lines Moni

Monika - Open Houses can be discouraging. I know that some people seem to have great success with them... :)

I didn't have an open house today and FIVE agents took their clients. Wonder what next Sunday will bring WITH an Open House :)

Good luck...maybe better luck next time :)

I sat at an open house for 2.5 hours today and had 4 visiting groups. I don't think I made a sale. I like your idea of advertising "only if you call."

Hi Monika - I haven't done public open houses for years at this point, and I've actually sold houses from the open houses. In this day and age, with video, mega amounts of pictures, slide shows, etc. you're basically doing open houses 24 hours a day seven days a week. If a buyer is serious about a property, they're going to make an appointment to see it without other potential buyers around. Plus, with the world the way it is today, safety and security are ever present concerns, as well, and not just for the house and homeowners possessions.

Love that picture!
Ann

Monika - It could be that open house does not work in that particular area. I know in my area open house is a great tool in some parts of the county and a dud in others.

I feel your pain. I don't find them to be that useful in my area, but I will do a couple just so the seller feels we did everything in our power to Market their home. My open last week I am still working with the people that came through, but the first one for that house had nobody but a guy that was bored and wasting time :)

OCT

2008

Monika, I quit doing them several years ago, they are just not the highest and best use of my time or my sellers. Occassionally they will ask me to "try" one so I do, but that's the end of it. In Ann Arbor people just don't go, they go online. That's why I put my money and time into online marketing. That's where the buyers are, end of story.

Moni - Your pictures look like something out of a magazine - I don't like oopen houses for pretty much the same reasons as well as the safety factor.

i have never 'enjoyed' doing opens. However, it is a very cost effective (free) way to market yourself if you have nothing else to do. so I keep doing them, though, when a whole day goes by without a visitor, i am also questioning

OCT

2008

Monika -- beautiful fall picture! I have to tell you that most clients seem to look at everything on the Internet. I referred one of my clients to an agent to list his home. The client promised to "price" the house for the market -- not too high and not too low! There were some great recent comps! The client wanted to hold an open house -- and the very first weekend after the property was listed, the agent held the open house. It resulted in 5 offers! One just never knows!

OCT

2008

I'm with you Monika! I hate them. Real motivated buyers make appointments! The few who do show up are usually just snoopers. The internet is where it is at! ...eh hem... but October is open house month with C21.... so I will be wasting my beautiful Fall Saturdays. ;)

Interesting - Monika ! I'm just in the middle of doing a post about Open Houses ! - You make some good points...:-)

Thank you everyone. I was on a rant...but what a waste of time the open house was. I'm with you all as far as the Internet goes. That is where the marketing efforts need to be and not sitting at an open house.

I have never sold a property as a result of an open house. I have acquired many buyers though. They just never bought the house that they met me through. I believe, in my area of Connecticut, Sunday is the preferred day to host the open. Some agents try Saturdays, but, folks are at their children's sport games on Saturday afternoons. It's really the agent's call, you have to do what works for you:)

It's a Good Life!

Fran

Leave a response…

Name:

Email:
(optional)

Comment:

What does the graphic say?