With a shifting Guelph market Sellers and Agents are both looking for effective ways to sell their homes and Open Houses have been a hot topic within the Real Estate industry. I have had Sellers on opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of their open house desires. One home owner may want an open house every weekend, twice a weekend and another refuses to have any. Let me tell you why Open Houses are a great tool and how to make the most of your open house!

1. Even nosey neighbours know someone looking to buy a home

Everyone’s got them, that one nosey neighbour who wants the inside scoop on the neighbourhood. One of the biggest complaints I receive from my selling clients is that they don’t want an open house because all you get are nosey neighbours poking around. While this may have some truth behind it, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. There is no one who is going to sell your home  better than someone who already lives in and loves the neighbourhood. Let those nosey neighbours come through, let them fall in love and then let them call all their friends and family to see who wants to become their new neighbour!

2. Accommodating to Hectic Schedules and Additional Exposure

The week can be hectic and it’s often a struggle to schedule everything in. Between work, soccer practice, kid pick-ups, dentist appointments, dinner and grocery shopping, there’s often no time to even think about calling your Realtor to book a showing for a home. More and more we are seeing buyers take their time in finding a home and waiting for the open house because of scheduling or because they don’t feel like contacting their Realtor until they are serious. Weekend open houses give buyers an opportunity to stop in at a time that is more convenient, without pressure and casually look at a home. Not only that, but open house signs and proper advertising bring in potential buyers that didn’t even know they were ready to buy a new home. I recently had this happen on one of my own listings. A nice family, out for a Sunday walk decided to pop in and see my listing just for fun. However they ended up leaving completely smitten with what they just saw. This nice family now owns that beautiful bungalow and all because they popped into an open house. Had my clients refused to hold an open house, this family would not have called a Realtor to see the home as their plans for moving were non-existent at the time!

3. Attracting New and First-Time Buyers

The home buying process can be an unfamiliar and daunting experience. Often buyers do not even know where to begin and lack guidance to how the process works. Naturally this means they flock to open houses. They’ve maybe seen the sign down the street or seen your pictures online, or received a phone call from that “nosey neighbour” who went through an open house, either way it’s something they have interest in seeing but didn’t otherwise know how to begin. An open house gives your Realtor an opportunity to sell your home, give guidance all while qualifying potential buyers for your home.

4. Attracting GTA and out of town buyers

Weekends are a prime time for out of town buyers looking for a home. They beat that commuters traffic and have more time in the day to view multiple properties. Both buyers and their Realtors find open houses extremely helpful when they have multiple properties they want to view while in town. Holding an open house is a great opportunity for Sellers to gain more traffic from out of town buyers who may not have been able to see your home through the week.

5. Your Realtor knows your home the best

So you have decided to list your home and have decided on a Realtor you think will do the best job at selling and promoting your home. You have walked them through your home, letting them see all the features and upgrades your home has to offer. Now let them do what they do best, sell your home. Open houses give your Realtor an opportunity to get in front of potential buyers and sell them on your home! Whether they have an agent or not, your agent can personally show them all the nooks, crannies and cool features your home has to offer. Other than yourself, your Realtor knows your home the best. Other Realtors may book showings and your Realtor can provide them with as much information as possible on your home but it’s up to that agent to pass that information along to their client. Your biggest advocate is your own Realtor!

So, you’ve decided to have an open house, congratulations! Read below for some tips on how you and your agent can work together to have a successful open house!

Tip #1

Make sure your Realtor or Realtor’s representative is there to actually sell your home and knows/is prepared with all the information on your home. Some agents will use this as an opportunity to pick up buyers and give them additional information on other listings. They were hired to sell YOUR home, so make sure whoever is hosting your open house is fully equipped.

Tip #2

Properly advertise your Open House! Now a days there are so many avenues in which buyers can get information on homes and open houses. Make sure that your Realtor is properly advertising your open house to get you the best turn out! Some resources include Realtor.ca, personal and brokerage websites, kijiji, Facebook ads, Instagram ads, Twitter, etc.

Tip #3

As a seller you play a huge role in a successful Open House. Make sure your home is tidied, sparking clean, laundry away and is smelling good! It’s your Realtors job to bring you the traffic and it’s your job as the Seller to make sure buyers are liking what they see and smell. The cleaner a home the more at ease and comfortable a buyer will feel. It allows them to actually view the home, not the clutter in the way of it and it shows true pride of ownership. Smell is HUGE when buying a home. Some buyers are turned off by the smell of food odours or pet smells or some buyers have allergies to certain animals. Ask your Realtor for tips and tricks on eliminating those odours.

The short story being, our job as your Realtor, is to sell your home and a great agent will use every opportunity to do so. Let them market your home and expose your home to as many people and buyers as possible. Whether or not a buyer has their own Realtor, let your Realtor represent you and tell any and everyone how amazing your home truly is!

Amanda xo