Open House...........is this a thing of the past?

With the trends all heading toward social media, and the ability for consumers to see homes on line with virtual tours and massive amounts of photographs, is it really necessary to have open houses any more? My answer would be no. I have not done open houses in quite some time. I feel that the agents are vulnerable and it exposes a sellers possessions and lifestyle to strangers that have not been pre-qualified, more less identified. With all the information that a buyer can get on the internet, I think it is better all around for the buyers to take the time to select a great agent and then make appointments to see the properties with them.


I know that a lot of agents pick up new buyers from open houses, and any ethical way of obtaining new business is good, but with the crime that many cities are experiencing, I do not feel that the open house venue is a good choice any longer. Think about it, you advertise that you will be in a house, probably alone, and that anyone, yes, anyone, can come in and check out the house, and the agent.  Nice if we lived in a perfect world, but sadly we do not.  As the economy gets worse people get more desperate and that puts us and the sellers in danger.

Instead, hire a great photographer, take lots and lots of quality photos. Add a virtual tour. Market your listing on the web and send out cards. Put a flyer box up in the yard and put an ad in Homes and Land Magazine or a local newspaper. If you do a good job of marketing, people that have an interest will call and make an appointment. Legitimate buyers with sincere interest will not miss an opportunity to see the house they think could be "the one" and will pick up the phone to meet with you. Better safe than sorry, but these are not the good old days and so there are better ways of getting traffic through a home. Offer a wine and cheese for agents who can then bring their interested customers, and again, use the web as a tool for people to see your listing inside and out.

If you must do open house remember to bring a buddy or someone with you. Check the home before you leave and make sure that you are not leaving anyone that does not belong in the home. This does happen and is an easy way for someone to burglarize! Check and double check all doors and windows. Someone could have come through and opened something you did not which will need to be relocked. Before the open house, if the home is occupied, please have the owners take all valuables out of the house. You do not want to be responsible for something going missing, which can easily happen. It is a huge responsibility having strangers come through your listings without supervision. True, you are there but how many people can you attend to at once??

Be safe, be smart, and most of all.....be careful! If your seller demands an open house make sure that they know all the pros and cons. If you make them aware you could be saving yourself and the seller time and trouble down the road!