Open houses are a great source of information about the property, neighborhood and local markets. Nearly half of real-estate buyers go to one.

1. Look past window-dressing

A full 94% of sellers do some "staging," such as repainting or bringing in new furniture, says Coldwell Banker.

"You can be so wowed by staging that you overlook important things," says San Jose realtor Carl San Miguel. To focus on what matters, lift rugs to look at floors, ask the agent to turn off music so you can listen for nearby noise, and beware of any smells masked by candles.

Also request a disclosure sheet, which lists known structural issues.

2. You can learn a lot from the crowd

Nearly half of buyers visit open houses, says the National Association of Realtors, so pay attention to your fellow shoppers' comments; they may have insight into how this home stacks up. Locals often pop in too, so if someone sounds like a neighbor, ask about the area.

To get a feel for demand, visit in the last hour and peek at the sign-in sheet. A full sheet could mean the home will sell quickly, says Paul Reid, a California-based agent.  Read more here.