Visitors at recent open houses reminded me of why open houses can be more beneficial than many people think… for the seller and current buyers… as well as for potential buyers and sellers.
The benefit of an open house to the seller should be pretty obvious… to sell the house!
While most properties don’t sell because of an open house, in today’s market with a shortage of homes for sale it can have a big impact, especially if it is in great condition, beautifully staged (can be with sellers’ own furnishings), priced to sell… and the open house comes days after listing the property for sale. This strategy can produce high traffic at the open house, creating a sense of urgency for interested buyers and result in multiple offers and a strong sale price.
If you are ready to buy, open houses give you the potential of finding a house to buy today!
If you are actively looking for a home to buy as soon as you find it, open houses can be just the ticket… you have open access to new listings without having to schedule showings with your real estate agent. If you find your dream house, you can contact your Realtor to make an offer.
Open houses can also be beneficial to future buyers and sellers!
If you aren’t in the market to buy right now or are thinking about selling in the future open houses can also be beneficial to you.
BUYERS
- You can get a feel for different neighborhoods and settings to determine what locations fit your lifestyle
- Open houses can help you discover the type and style of home that would be a good fit for you
- You can get a sense of what your money can buy in different locations and types of homes
- You can ‘shop’ for Realtors to work with when you are ready to ‘get serious’
I will never forget when I introduced myself to a visitor at one of my open houses and she told me knew who I was. She had been reading my blog for about a year and came to the open house not because she was interested in buying it, but because she was ready to buy and wanted to meet me in person before asking me to represent her!
SELLERS
- You can get an idea of what your competition looks like
- You can get an idea of pricing
- You can get an idea of how properties are staged to look good
- You can get an idea of improvements and updates to get ready to sell
- You can ‘shop’ for Realtors to guide you in both getting ready to sell and selling your home
Contact us to schedule a free consultation, even if you don’t plan to sell until months or even years from now. We love hearing from homeowners who are thinking about selling long before they are ready to put their home on the market. Chances are good that the longer you have lived in your home the longer it will take to get it ready to sell… and if you make improvements well in advance you can enjoy them yourself before you sell! Contact us before doing any improvements to sell your home, including painting. We know the Twin Cities market. Our free consultation will give you a free market analysis of your home, along with advice on what changes will have a positive impact for your specific home. What we do and don’t recommend may surprise you!
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – Minneapolis-St. Paul Realtor
HomesMSP Team – Sharlene, John, Angela – Minneapolis-St. Paul Relocation
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