Open houses

B - Open Houses: Situations to be aware of?

Survey greeting:

Anytime you greet people at your open house, ask them how they heard about your home being for sale. Tell them you’re trying to find out if your ad was effective (whether you advertised or not). This informal survey will let you know what is working: newspaper ads, fliers, the internet, the for-sale sign, directional arrows, word of mouth, neighbors, etc. It’s also an easy conversation starter. 

If the prospects came based on an ad or flyer, they already know the asking price. They are more inclined to be financially qualified, whereas the usual drive-by people are unknowns. 

Chances of selling:

Few homes are sold at an open house.

Homes that do sell are always based on the buyers’ strong emotional feelings–getting caught up in the moment. The best candidates for this are homes that are clean and staged to show well. 

Price can always be negotiated. Emotional aspects can’t. As the seller, if your house is not clean, is in poor condition, or suffers from the blahs, an open house is a waste of your afternoon.

Adverse weather: 

Anytime the weather holds down the attendance, remember, those who made the effort to come are probably very serious buyers.  

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