Open House is a very effective tool in exposing the home to prospective customers. As a listing agent I have strongly believed in the value of open houses. It is also a service that our sellers have come to expect of the listing broker in our area, as may be the case in other areas also. While open houses alone are no guarantee, but they do form an important part of the marketing plan to sell the listing.

Thu May 8 2008, 15:22

Open houses may not directly sell your home, but it may have been the driving factor for that one buyer who learned about the home just from seeing your open house sign and checking with their agent. One time in my career, I did sell the home from meeting a man at the open house that did not have an agent and we wrote the offer the following day. I would also say it depends on where the open house is located; streets with great traffic and new construction does much better than a home on five acres in the country 40 minutes from the nearest metropolitan city.

Thu May 8 2008, 15:09

I believe yes, but only to a minimal extent. My observation has been that Realtor's hold open houses primarily for the purpose of attracting new business.

Thu May 8 2008, 15:00

Chances are slim but it does give homes exposure!

Thu May 8 2008, 14:58

It happens often enough that the right buyer will come to an open house and they are usually ready to make an offer right away. If you are there and follow through, you can capture their enthusiasm and lead them forward,

Thu May 8 2008, 14:52

Open houses help to recruit buyers and additional listings in the neighborhoods.... I have not sold any homes I sat at for an open house except a new home subdivision. In that case its necessary.....

Thu May 8 2008, 14:45

I have wrote a contract on a house at the actual open house just 1 time. Most walk thru buyers are already working with an agent. I have received offers after the fact though after they came through my open house. It just depends on the house and the area. My thought though is "It doesn't hurt to try!"

Thu May 8 2008, 14:42

Open houses REALLY DO sell homes! I just sold a house in only 32 days in the Cleveland, OH Marketplace where the buyer came into an open house I held! While open houses aren't necessary EVERY weekend, a few well-chosen dates (First time open, after a price reduction, on a special holiday weekend) are crucial! Also, open houses help buyers (that are interested but not moving quickly enough towards a decision) MAKE a decision!

Thu May 8 2008, 12:34

Absolutely! They are not always necessary on every home...I truly believe that homes that are very unique and are missing certain buzz works that buyers screen home with (square-footage, bedroom & bathroom counts, yard size, etc) an open house should be held on these homes. They are typically eliminated because of something simple but an open house gets a buyer to look at it at their convenience without "inconveniencing their agent"... The best example of this is a home that's on a busy road that buyer's and agents will eliminate but an open house (with a really great price) will entice the buyer to at least take a look. If it offers everything they wanted but the only limitation is the busy road, then they may make an offer if they can same 5% - 10% due to location; and they may have never seen this home otherwise without having an open house.

Thu May 8 2008, 12:29

You never know if a buyer will walk into an open house and love the house - it's happened to me twice in the last 2 years. While I don't think it's worth doing open houses over and over again at the same house, if you time it right you can get a lot of exposure and once in a while you'll get a sale. And the buyers you meet at these open houses can filter into sales at another house you have listed, so as a seller I think you want an agent who does open houses, because it can increase the number of buyers she gets to know.

Tue Apr 29 2008, 14:30

No, I do not feel like open houses sell houses. With all the pictures and tools for viewing properies available on line in todays world the sellers can decide if they want to set up a private showing or not. This has eliminated the need for open houses.

Tue Apr 29 2008, 09:35

We recently had a home listed and did an open house every Sunday for the month of April. The sellers had the interior painted, staged the home inside and we were ready for open houses. After the third open house, our buyer came in. However, the buyer had an agent. We sold the home to the buyer that saw the home during an open house. It does not happen often enough but it does sometimes.

Tue Apr 29 2008, 09:34

Not sure if they ever sell the house, however it does give the house exposure. If advertised correctly off the web and etc.

Tue Apr 29 2008, 09:27

NAR always quotes the stats on this at 1-3%

That said, if you could improve your sales in a sagging market, isn't it worth an additional 3% chance? I'll bet that clients who are having a hard time moving their homes think so.

Tue Apr 29 2008, 09:23

I'm a strong believer in Open Houses. In fact, I sold a home from an open house. I think people like to be able to go into homes without the pressure of their agent just to look to see if it might be worth pursuing. An Open House makes a home seem inviting and desirable to just the right buyer.

Tue Apr 29 2008, 09:13

Some people say they do. I read an interesting article on Yahoo last weekend regarding open house parties. Some people are going to great lengths on open houses. Yoiu may find it an interesting read. Here is the address...

http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/104929/Drinks-D…

Mon Apr 28 2008, 20:08

Open houses sell homes they just may not sell your home. Working Open Houses correctly takes a lot of time and energy by your listing agent, time and energy which might be better spent marketing your home by word of mouth.

Flyers, postcards, direct neighborhood mailing, agent emails, facsimile flyer sharing, and sign postings consume the time of the listing agent as they prepare for your home to be open to the public. Depending on the community involvement of your agent they may generate more interest in your home during a Civic, School or religious event where they are known and most likely trusted by the people whom they are associating with, maybe even where you first became known to the agent.

Open houses do work well for agents to develop a relationship with consumers just beginning the home search process or not yet represented by a real estate professional. So you see Open Houses do sell home, just not yours!

Wed Apr 23 2008, 09:06

They certainly can. I have personally sold a house directly from an open house, so it does happen. Usually agents hold open houses to generate new leads, but a good agent will utilize the open house to do both. She can promote herself while working hard for her seller and sell the home she is holding open. An open house also gives the agent an opportunity to 'sell' the home to the other agents who might be showing the house to their clients. It is just that one little extra personal touch that helps the process along.

Wed Apr 23 2008, 09:05

In our rural area, open houses have never been very successful and are generally not well attended

Wed Apr 23 2008, 09:04