Open Houses -- Pros and Cons

There is a lot of discussion around  Help-U-Sell regarding open houses lately.  It has always been in our business model that we offer sellers THE CHOICE to do open houses or not.  If they do and are successful in finding a buyer then they pay a reduced fee since they, the seller, produced the buyer.  (We still handles all the details to close).

Now what if the seller doesn't want to hold open houses.  Should we do them?  Well, that's the discussion!  The pros to the seller are increased exposure.   But if they don't want to host open houses, they probably don't see the value.  The pros to the agent are that they were trained to believe they could find buyers.  But if the visitors to the home also went to 5 other open houses that day they made contact with 5 other agents.  Hopefully the agent is charming and knowledgeable enough to capture the buyer.  

But wait a minute!  What if the agent, instead of hosting the open house, was with his or her family at family activities like soccer, baseball or other sports?  What if they were performing worthwhile activities in their church, civic organization or community?  Wouldn't they meet buyers and sellers there - if not right away then over time?  None of us are in this business for just a day.  We build our business over time and my personal belief is that time with your family is much more important than sitting in a strangers living room hoping your next paycheck will walk through the door.  And, by the way.  In the Help-U-Sell system most offices have sellers hosting several open houses each weekend.  So on Monday they collect the sign in sheets from SEVERAL open houses and follow up with the buyers and benefit from EACH open house -- while they SPENT TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES!!

I know there will be different points of view here and if hosting open houses is your bag, then go for it.  Now, you can see I am not a proponent of open houses and here's why.  During my 28 years in the real estate business I've learned to value my time and my family.  Here on the Jersey Shore for instance we have 16 -18 warm weekends and less if the weather doesn't co-operate.  Me, I want to enjoy all of them.

But here is the most important point I want to make and it's directed to those with younger children.  There are so many outside influences that affect your children's development that you have little control over.  They include what's on the internet, songs, print and more. When they walk out the front door, well, "It's a jungle out there"!  It is more important with every passing day that you spend every possible moment you can with your children.  Someday you will look back, and realize that the window of opportunity is shorter than you might think.  The most important duty you will ever have on this earth is to be a good parent and, as I said before, I don't believe sitting in a strangers home is more important than time with your family.

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