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Are Open Houses for Weekends Only?

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Real Estate Agent with Dockside Realty VA 0225142975

Are Open Houses for weekends only?  Absolutely not!  Saturdays and Sundays are the conventional days for open houses.  That makes sense.  After all most, although not all, people are freer on the weekends.  Again, most, although not all, work Monday through Friday leaving the weekends available to house shop.

I'd like to relay a lesson learned back in the 1980s when I was a new agent.  Another new agent and I had a listing, a large colonial home in a very desirable neighborhood.  We had several typical open houses on the weekends.  Yes, we did have visitors but some seemed to be simply driving by, saw the sign, and decided they wanted to take a look.  Of course we gained a couple of good prospects to work with but not a buyer for that particular home.

We were at our wits end.  This was a divorce and both parties wanted to move on to buy other homes.  This house had to sell for them to achieve that goal.

One day as we brainstormed we got thinking about what a great place it would be for someone working in the area but living a distance away.  Decision was made to try to capture someone on their way home that really wanted to be much closer and wanted to possibly move up to a more expensive home.

We picked 4:00 to 7:00 on a Thursday evening.

Eager to see what would happen we were all set when 4:00 came...and went.  Five o'clock came and went. Six o'clock came and went.  Not one visitor.  We began to think our brilliant idea was not so shiny bright after all.  With mere minutes to go before we would begin to call it quits a man pulled up and came in.

Our one and only visitor had arrived.  He worked in a bank just a couple of blocks away, saw the well placed directional signs on his way home and that was it.  He liked what he saw.  In fact he liked it very much.  He asked if we would wait while he went to pick up his wife from the Metro station and bring her to see the house.  Of course we said yes.

Listing sold.  Other transactions happened as a result.  When there's a brick wall in front of you...knock it down.

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Susan Mangigian
RE/MAX Preferred - West Chester, PA
Chester & Delaware County Homes, Delaware and Ches

I tried to start this trend in my area this summer.  With longer days and folks away for the weekend, I thought it would be great to hold open houses from 5 to 7 on a weeknight.  I got a few agents in my office to do it as well, with varying degrees of success.  What my sellers saw though was someone really trying to sell their home!

Feb 01, 2011 11:54 AM
Debra Davis
Keller Williams Realty Atlanta Partners - Snellville, GA
Realtor - Atlanta, Decatur, Snellville, Loganville

What a great story and great idea. Thanks for the idea on how to do things differently.

Feb 01, 2011 12:10 PM
Michelle Francis
Tim Francis Realty LLC - Atlanta, GA
Realtor, Buckhead Atlanta Homes for Sale & Lease

Kate, 

Two morals of the story.  Try new things and know who your target audience in is.  In vacation areas they frequently have daily Open Houses in a gorgeous section of town.  

All the best, Michelle

Feb 01, 2011 12:19 PM
Terrie Leighton
Ferrari-Lund Real Estate - Reno, NV
Reno Real Estate Agent ~ Selling Homes in Reno

Kate ~ We have to think outside the box in today's real estate market. I like your strategy to hold an open house during the week. And ....it is always smart to have someone with you when hosting Open Houses during odd hours of the day.

Feb 01, 2011 12:52 PM
Mary Yonkers
Alan Kells School of Real Estate/Howard Hanna Real Estate - Erie, PA
Erie/PA Real Estate Instructor

Kate--A sign of a good agent is one who is willing to do what it takes to get the job done and smart enough to figure out what needs to be done.  Good message, Kate.

Feb 01, 2011 01:56 PM
Jim Palmer
Chipola Realty - Chipley Office (850) 638-2777 - Sunny Hills, FL
Washington County, Florida

Although I am not personally a big fan of open houses, one of our agents a few years ago had success holding them during lunch hour. Seems that she offered light snacks, party platter, etc. and got a lot of traffic from local workers.

Feb 01, 2011 10:03 PM
Andrea Swiedler
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties - New Milford, CT
Realtor, Southern Litchfield County CT

Kate, I guess your positive action created an even more positive reaction to it! Great story, and we should think outside the box and break down those brick walls more often!

Feb 01, 2011 10:38 PM
Lana Robbins Realtor ® Licensed Real Estate Broker
Aloha Kai Real Estate - Clearwater, FL
Licensed in Florida, Washington, and Hawai'i

Hi Kate. That's one thing that I learned as well. Weekends are not the only time to host Open Houses. It's during the week when people are on their way home from work. I suggested this to be Featured because it's a great reminder.

Feb 14, 2011 03:09 PM