Open Houses [back]

An "Open House" event is planned to give the general public a tour of your property without the need for browsers to make a special appointment. While builders and Realtors rely upon these as one of the best and most cost effective marketing tools, it is also possible for a FSBO seller to host an Open House just like a pro.

One way to approach the scheduling and advertising of your Open House is to think about "yard sales" or "garage sales", because the formula is essentially the same. Most Open Houses are held on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, because those are the days that most buyers have time to drive around and shop for property. Advertising an Open House helps, but is not essential unless your property is at an out-of-the-way location that doesn't attract any routine traffic. If you live on or near a street that's busy, just putting up a sign to direct people to your Open House can be sufficient.

Never conduct an Open House by yourself. If you have a dozen people touring your home at the same time, it is impossible to keep up with all of them and it limits your ability to focus on the questions of serious buyers. Enlist family members or friends to help, and post people in different sections of the home to keep an eye on things. Another reason for hosting the event with help is that some people with other motives might show up and do things they shouldn't if they aren't supervised.

Some professional thieves prey on sellers and use house tours that are unsupervised as an opportunity to pilfer items of value or unlock a window or side door for a future break-in. Before hosting your Open House, clear anything of obvious value - like jewelry, firearms, or electronics, for instance - away and store those items in a secure place. While crimes of opportunity are rare at Open Houses, you don't want to tempt anyone or give them any wild ideas.

One clever way to help sell your home - and get a volunteer to help host your Open House - is to invite a mortgage broker to participate. Let her or him set up a card table and assist buyers with financial information. Most lenders will be eager for the chance to meet potential borrowers and hand out business cards. The best thing about having a mortgage expert on hand is that if you get an interested buyer, you can qualify the buyer. This ensures that you have a buyer who can put their money where their mouth is, so to speak.

Brian Serpone can be reached in the Harwich office of Today Real Estate at 508-568-8104.