Open houses can work when done right. Sometimes they are a waste of time. Sometimes it doesn't make sense to do them. Sometimes it does and you can get buyers that way and we're gonna go over the pros and cons right now.

PROs

So let's talk about the pros. Who are open houses good for? Well, they're good for your real estate agent, that's for sure. And the reason why is because they get to stand in your living room and pass out their business cards to all your neighbors.

They're also good for real estate agents because they can pick up buyers as it were. And when I say pick up, I mean, they can work with buyers that are coming through. Let's say somebody is just getting started. They are not working with the real estate agent just yet. They walk in, they're charmed by the agent that's holding your open house for your house to try and sell and these buyers don't necessarily want to buy your house, but they might be open to buying a house in the neighborhood down the road. Well, that agent just put that buyer in the roll of decks and they're gonna try and sell them a house that isn't yours in the future. There's nothing wrong with that. Everybody's got to make a buck. I'm just trying to tell you that this is what happens when you have open houses.

Open houses can also be good for buyers. Obviously, like if they're working with an agent and their agents out of town and they really, really want to go see your place and they don't wanna just, you know, knock on the door, they can come to the open house. Obviously, it's good on a Saturday and Sunday, they're not doing much and maybe those buyers that end up buying your house, they come through an open house. I've seen it happen.

CONs

Let's talk about the downsides of open houses. Well, number one, they can be risky if you're still living there and you're gonna have, I don't know, a couple of dozen people walk through your house, they could break stuff, they could try to steal stuff, they could take pictures of stuff, they could do a lot of things and it's not all good. There are a lot of horror stories out there about what can happen in an open house. And yet you might think as a seller that it's absolutely something that you need to do. But here's the honest truth, you don't, if a buyer really, really wants to see your house, it's great that they can show up at an open house. But if they're motivated to see your house, they're gonna see your house. They're gonna call up their agent or they're gonna call up the listing agent. The person that's gonna otherwise do the open house and ask to see it and then set up an appointment.

I like to do that with people too. The buyers that I'm working with, I'd rather not send them to the open house. I'd rather show a house to them in person in private where they don't have to compete and jostle elbows and eat cookies and make awkward small talk and all the while not really check out how great your kitchen is. Private individual showings are far better for buyers and sellers in my opinion. Open houses are something that's probably not gonna go away maybe in a couple of decades from now.

There'll be a thing of the past, especially when things get a lot more automated and you can have a lock on your door that scans somebody's retinas and only then will they be led into the house. But open houses are eventually going to be kind of a thing of the past. The trend just hasn't hit this yet. Sure, they sell houses sometimes they don't and sometimes they're risky. It's all something about what you're comfortable with, what your real estate agent recommends and what the best way is to sell your house for the most money.

If you want to know more, you're thinking about selling. You have questions. Just message us. Thanks.