The Open House Debate Revisited

The National Association of REALTORS® is Promoting April 10- 11, 2010 as “National REALTOR® Open House Weekend”.  I have always been an advocate of open houses. Why? It sells properties!

The Great Debate

These conversations go on. They are on Twitter, Facebook and blogs.  Some agents state it is a waste of their time. Some agents say the only results are picking up buyers. It always amazes me when real estate agents  make a declaration they don’t/won’t do open houses. The arrogance in the comments makes it sound like showing up for 2 hours on a Sunday  is beneath them. Some believe social media replaces open houses. They are convinced that sitting on their computers will sell their listings.

I respect everyone has different points of view but I look at the results.

The Goal: Sell the Listing

Just as how we get clients and listings does not come from only one source, what generates a sale does not come from one source.  I have had success selling properties as a result of open houses throughout my real estate career. I do them week in and week out. Some weeks no one comes through, sometimes one person and others many. It only takes one person  and one offer. In the last months I have sold three properties resulting from open houses. The listing I got was a bonus.

If you opt not to offer open houses to your sellers in marketing their properties, that’s your choice. But don’t make it seem that those of us who do are wasting anybody’s time or makes us less professional as an agent. Selling my clients properties are never a waste of my time. It’s my job.