Public Open houses DO work!!!
Some agents shy away from having weekend Open Houses for the public, because they feel those who come through the open house are rarely ever going to buy that home.
“They are just lookers, and not buyers”, or “Most are tire kickers, and don’t even know if they can afford the house, let alone be ready to buy it”, are some of the comments (or excuses) some agents might make. My personal opinion is, with THAT kind of attitude as an agent, you are certainly doomed and will never “sell that house” at an Open House.
It’s all in the approach you take. Having plenty colourful feature sheets with details of the home is crucial (make sure they have plenty of inside pictures of the home, so the customer can remember the home long after they’ve left). Having a map of the area (or city), info on schools nearby, information from banks (or mortgage brokers) regarding monthly mortgage payments (with different down-payment options), and plenty of branding info about yourself (as the agent).
We typically sell 1 in every 10 homes that we list, through an Open House. So next time your agent tells you; “Open Houses don’t work, no reason to waste your time Mr. Seller”, tell him (or her) that you insist on them!
Flav Onsen