Open House!

In this day and age most people who are shopping for a home begin their search via the internet. With multiple websites and apps to choose from, homes that are listed for sale can be viewed online first. ChangingStreets.com’s website generates up to the minute listings and allows a potential buyer to identify many possible homes with ease. It’s also a great way to expose your property to the most qualified buyers.

So with all this great technology, are traditional open houses necessary? The National Association of Realtors found that nearly half of all home buyers attend open houses and found them helpful in making their final decision. Not too many buyers will purchase a home without seeing it first. Having an open house is just another great tool to exposing your house to the right buyer.

As a homeowner, here are a few tips to help your real estate agent have a more successful open house (and showings for that matter):

·        Clean and declutter. This is so obvious but is very important. Try to depersonalize your house by taking down pictures, packing knick knacks and mementos, etc. You want people to picture themselves living in the home. It’s hard for buyers to do this if your house is full of your personal belongings. It’s also a good idea to lock up anything considered valuable during the day of the open house.

·        During the open house plan to be gone the whole time. Buyers need to be able to look around your house and react and talk honestly. It’s much harder to do this when the homeowner is within earshot and may be listening.

·        Make sure your pets are out of the house or properly contained. Pets can be a deal breaker for some buyers.

·        Once the open house is over and your agent has received feedback from the attendees and other agents, really listen objectively. These comments may sting a little since it is your home but your goal is to get the best price and move on. So, in the interest of selling your house, you may need to change certain things in order to get a better offer. 

Any of our excellent agents at ChangingStreets.com will be glad to discuss all of the details of selling your home from start to finish. Having an open house is just one of the many tools to get your house sold, so if you have one make sure it shows well!

(Source:  http://tinyurl.com/lphx8kn)