Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never held an open house that someone didn't attend. There was a time or two when I had only one person show up, but rain was the culprit--in Southern California people don't like to get wet except in their pools.
The secret to a successful open house is selecting the right house to hold open. A staged vacant house is my number one choice, followed closely by a vacant home in a great location and in good condition. I rarely hold owner occupied properties open unless the sellers are away, or need to sell right away, as I think it is a huge inconvenience for them to prepare the home for show and then leave for the afternoon. It really ruins their Sunday and is one of the most dreaded aspects of selling a home for many sellers.
Yes, it is rare for a buyer to walk in and write an offer on the spot, although in my pre-agent days I did just that in Glen Arm, Maryland, but that's another post.
For buyers, it is the next logical step after viewing the photos and virtual tours online but still remain in the "just looking" stage of the home buying process. These lookers are future buyers, yet many are not ready to commit to an agent, or bother their agent. They prefer to look on their own, but the process is moving them closer to purchasing a home.
Here are my open house results for 2007--at least the ones I can track:
My open house: Buyer attends, calls her agent and we closed escrow 30 days later.
Other agent's open: My buyer attends, loves it, calls me, we meet at the property the next day so I can see the townhouse, write an offer and close escrow. Thanks Helen for holding that one open!
My open house: Buyer attends, his agent calls me, we have an accepted offer within days of the buyer seeing the property.
Three transactions as a direct result of open house activity in 2007. Three sellers who sold and moved on. Three buyers who found exactly what they were looking for. How can that be bad?
Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800
South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.
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