Why open homes aren't necessary
by Adam Smith
Are open homes a necessary evil when selling property? We think not.
And we’re pleased to see others are beginning to think the same. A recent Christchurch Press article outlined the reality that not everyone who comes to your open home will be a genuine buyer, despite what the real estate agent may imply. Curious neighbours, passers-by acting on impulse, as well as the occasional ‘real estate tourist’ looking to compare their property and get decorating ideas, will all be walking through your front door.
Here at Iron Bridge we believe there are much better ways to find serious buyers for your property, without the serious inconvenience of open homes.
In fact, we know from experience that real buyers will come whether there’s an open home or not.The truth is, if a buyer is serious, they’ll ring for an appointment as soon as possible and not just turn up when the home is ‘open’.
That’s why our policy is to qualify buyers before taking them to a property for sale. By doing this we find out if they’re genuine, whether the property will meet their requirements and, most importantly, whether the budget they have to spend is appropriate for the value of your home.
Rather than asking the buyer to come at the open home time, meeting them by appointment allows us to set a time with the buyer that best suits them – and you!
It’s also worth bearing in mind that you can easily achieve a house full of ‘people’ at an open home, but you want ‘buyers’ that are prepared to pay the best price for your property. A house full of people is also the best way to make a property feel smaller too – probably not the look you were going for!
As these streams of people enter your home, typically the agent will register their details so they can contact those ‘buyers’ later, gauge their interest and give you feedback. This is how they’ll find you a genuine buyer, they say, but we know from personal experience it doesn’t happen that way.
One of our Iron Bridge employees is currently a genuine buyer and has recently been to seven separate open homes and registered her name and number. To date, not one of those agents has called her back. So what is the point of an open home if you don’t even contact the legitimate buyers?! Perhaps the agents know that the vast majority of people through the door are tyre-kickers and a complete waste of time.
Despite the evidence, people still think open homes are a necessary evil. We know from experience that an open home makes no difference to whether a house sells or not.
If you’re looking to sell, call us to find out how you can gain an edge by making this one change to your selling approach.
