Open Houses

I do hold open houses , I have actually sold homes at open houses, but please keep in mind they are not the sell all cure, especially in a slow market.  Your home should be desirable in a unique way to really profit from open houses. I usually have at least one open house per listing, this will give me the public response to the home and let me know the amount of traffic that is available through open houses in your area. If you have a high traffic area for open houses we may benefit from having several more.

Please keep in mind that most buyers (over 80%) use the internet for home shopping since walking into a open house buyers rarely know the price, size, or anything about the home. Also with the price of gas and the limited time most people has makes driving to open houses impractical.

If you were looking to buy a home right now would you get in the car and start driving through neighborhoods? or would you get online and search out your area to see all the homes available?

Below are comments for various Realtors around the country:

Many people are used to searching for properties while sitting at their computer keyboards, and the recent growth in online videos and virtual home tours has ramped up real estate marketing on the Web during a housing downturn that has dragged into a second year.

“There’s no denying the power of the Internet,” said Jeff Levine, of Illustrated Properties in Wellington.

Open houses became popular in the 1970s, when it was common for families to drive through neighborhoods after church Sunday mornings. Cookies and punch kept the kids occupied long enough for the parents to tour the homes, ask questions and consider making offers.

But priorities have shifted in recent years as families spend less time together. More condominiums and gated communities, and even rising gas prices, also have led to the downfall of open houses.

Mostly, though, home buyers are doing their initial legwork online.

Last year, 80 percent of buyers nationwide used the Internet to look for homes, up from 18 percent a decade ago, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Mr. Fields, 41, who is considering a move from Long Island to South Florida, said he looked at photos and videos of many houses online before working with an agent, to visit properties.

“An open house can work sure, but I think more houses are sold by people making their own arrangements from the Internet,” he said. “The market’s changing.”

Efforts are more wisely spent on internet marketing, visual tours and videos, it's a numbers game, get the home in front of as many people in the world as possible.