Do Open Houses Really Sell Homes?

Unequivocally YES! In a tough market like this, it is critical that owner occupied homes being listed up against bank foreclosures and short sales receive as much exposure to potential buyers as possible. There are some in the RE industry that think open houses do not work and in some rare cases, they don't. However, most of the time, 3-4 hours per week is not that much time to ensure a listed home receives the exposure it needs to sell.

The key is to have innovative and fun open houses at times when potential buyers are available. In this busy world, buyers are everywhere but they are sometimes very busy, very overloaded with information, and don't always have the time to look at homes during traditional timeframes.

Having worked in the real estate industry both in Chicago and now Phoenix, it is critical to host open houses when buyers are available.

Traditionally Sundays seem to work best because potential buyers have the afternoons to drive and look at homes. Saturdays sometimes work but this is typically a day for running errands and taking care of business that was delayed during the previous week.

I have found that hosting a Thursday or Friday "Twilight Open House" is very successful. Typically we will provide wine and cheese/finger snacks from 4:30-7:30pm. These work great because people can stop by after work, view the home and get a snack. Neighbors love these and I have had neighbors help sell my homes simply because they came to one of these open houses and convinced friends to move nearby.

This is just a snapshot of the marketing tools dedicated agents can do for you. If you or your agent don't think open houses will work-think again! These are easy to do and offer opportunities for you and the agent to get your home sold quicker than others in the neighborhood.