Do Open Houses Sell Homes?

The first thing a seller asks upon signing a listing agreement is  ”Are you going to do an Open House?’   My response is  ”Why, do you want one?”.   I ask this question for opening the dialogue as to why sellers feel that open houses are important to selling their home.  According to statistics, few homes are sold directly from an open house.  They are more widely used for the agent to gain prospects-for other homes.

My marketing plan does include open houses as a means to promote a seller’s home to the public as well as to other agents.  When listing the home, I am careful to explain the strategy of my marketing plan and, if it incorporates an open house, we will schedule it in the plan.  Not every home is a good candidate for an open house.  Location is one determining factor as its hard to push traffic to a home in a more rural location.

There are two types of open houses- the public open house, which is the most common one that invites home buyers, and a Realtor open house, which is the opportunity for agents to view the home and obtain information for their clients. Many homes have been sold by a Realtor that viewed a home and knew immediately that it was the one their client had been waiting for. 

And, of course, when having an Open House, make sure you do not leave valuables or important, private documents out in view of your visitors. Clean your home, including all cabinets, closets, making sure it smells and looks fresh!

Open houses can sell homes, but your Realtor should have a marketing plan that promotes a strategy for a targeted market and it may or may not include one.  Trust your agent as they are the one that knows the market, knows what is working at the current time, and knows how best to sell your property.