Open Houses (Usually) Don’t Sell Homes

Open Houses are the dinosaurs of real estate marketing, but Realtors still do them.

Why?

Because agents use Open Houses to get new buyer clients.

If a buyer is serious, chances are they have an agent and are scheduling private tours. Open Houses as the last horizon to “just take a look.” As a result, Open Houses attract nosey neighbors and weekend lookey loos, not qualified buyers. According to the National Association of Realtors, less than 7% of buyers find their home through an Open House.

Inviting strangers without representation or ID into your home puts your property at risk. Theft, damage and privacy concerns are real issues.

Agents allow Open Houses to eat up their weekends because unrepresented prospective clients will be walking through the door. If they don’t like your houses, that doesn’t matter. What matters is the agent was able to collect their contact information (note the helpful sign-in sheet) and can close a deal with them on something else.

Serious buyers are online which is why making the best impression on the MLS and syndicated sites (Realtor.com, Zillow, etc) is so critical. We offer high-end photography, drone, floor plans and more because those are the tools that matter. Not a two-hour Open House with branded water bottles.