Open Houses are an effective way for selling your home when done correctly.
Make sure you have done your part in preparing your home for the display.
The most important open house is the first weekend you list your home. That is why it is important to make sure that the house is ready from the get-go.
Have all the junk thrown out, and the valuable pieces that are taking up space stored. If you do not have enough storage space in your home, you can always rent one out. Buyers are curious, they will open up the kitchen cupboards and closets so do not clutter them up.
Next, wash the floors and windows, make the beds, and take care of all the minor repairs.
Although this is not obvious to all sellers, but potential buys feel a lot better if you are not there. Your presence will just intimidate them and they will not be comfortable to check everything they are interested in.
As weeks and months pass, most ready buyers have already come by, that is why it is critical to have your house shine from day one. The success of the open house depends a lot on the agent as well.
Immediately change your agent if he believes that open houses do not work. You do not want to hire an agent with this mind set. It has been proven statistically that six percent of houses sell to people that have attended the open house with most agents claiming that their stats are a lot higher. The agent’s goal should be to expose the house to as many people as possible, even to people using other agents.
Make sure that the agent knows the neighborhood, and everything about your house. Ensure that your agent is actually trying to sell your house. There have been cases where agents have taken advantage of open houses for their own interest; they will look at this as an opportunity to find buyers who do not have agents, and some will even print off competitive listings and will try to sell those instead. Furthermore, look at the ways that the agent is advertising your home. Having a few signs on the street is not enough, as this will target mostly curious neighbors.
Additionally, verify that the agent is advertising your open house on Kjiji and Facebook, etc.
Now that you know what it takes to have a successful open house, go and prepare your home for the showcase.
- Justin
