Open House Etiquette
Between 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, signs on every major corner beckon people to visit a house for sale. Open houses are chance for sellers to market their homes to the general public, hoping someone will pop in, take a look around, perhaps tell a friend about it and better yet, buy it themselves.
Often times it allows someone who saw the house with their agent to return with friends or family for a second look. Even though stats show that less than 5% of homes are sold through open houses, they are nonetheless a big part of the selling process. It’s very expected that neighbours and even friends may stop in, but the idea is to allow a stress-free time frame for open showings for serious buyers.
The etiquette of an open house is really just common sense – however you’d be surprised how many people stretch the rules and do things that I, as a seller, wouldn’t necessarily appreciate if it was my home that was open.
Realtors do their best to keep everything going smoothly, but there are times when things get hectic, to say the least.
Here are just a few things to think about next time you are venturing into an open house:
- Take off your shoes. Tracking through dirt and mud and who knows what else just isn’t nice.
- Sign in. Most Realtors will not barrage you with emails or phone calls to buy or sell just because you sign their open house forms, instead it’s a record for the sellers to see how many people were in their home. If you do want additional information on the house or others, there is usually a spot for that inquiry and of course any Realtor would be thrilled to help.
- Don’t use the bathroom. Enough said.
- Try not to spout very loud opinions on things you may not know anything about – such as “wow that paint colour is so bright they must be hiding huge problems in the wall.” How would you feel if someone said that to your home?
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions to the Realtor – they have a duty to be honest and ethical with their answers so it’s a great time to chat about the house.
Thanks in advance from all those nervous sellers!
Great Information borrowed in entirety from:
http://realestate.yourmoney.ca/2011/09/etiquette-of-an-open-house.html
Feel free to leave your comments and opinions.
Or for fun, let me know.. What’s the WORST thing you’ve ever experienced or witnessed at an Open House?
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.