This time of year you’ll start seeing open house signs popping up all over the neighborhood.  The question is do they actually work?  You’d think they must because so many owners and Realtors hold houses open for the public to view.  I think the better question is are they your most effective way to market a home?

Typically the person who benefits most from open houses is the Realtor.  The majority of people walking into a house are nosy neighbors -we all are guilty of it!  People that will legitimately never buy your house will flock to it in droves, but it gives the Realtor an opportunity to get information from future potential buyers or sellers. Just last week I was talking to a Realtor who holds open houses almost every weekend and has sold a couple houses by doing so, but has also gained a lot of buyers who he ended up selling other houses to. I’ve found open houses to be a very passive approach to selling real estate.  Just sitting back and waiting for Mr. Right or Mrs. Wonderful to walk through the door and say “I’ll take it!”, sure, it can happen – but it’s not likely.
So the question then becomes do you want to have your house used as a marketing tool for your Realtor to build their business while most likely not helping you sell your own house?  Not to mention the invasion of privacy you can put yourself through by having a bunch of unqualified people walking around your house.  I’d suggest putting your time and money into online marketing.  Almost 90% of all buyers now come from online. Why not try to capitalize on the biggest pool of fish in the sea?  Put your efforts where you’re likely to have the biggest reward.

Open houses do have a place for creating buzz and being effective if done right.  But my overall opinion is that you’re better suited selling your house by proactively pounding the streets (or internet) and grabbing that buyer verses sitting around waiting for them to come to you.

There certainly are lots of ways to market and sell a home.  Some are better than others so don’t be afraid to try new ideas to get your home sold.  But remember, just because it has been done before, doesn’t mean it’s the best for you.

Good luck selling!

Gabe Mellein was voted a Top Real Estate Agent – Exceptional in Service and Overall Satisfaction by Gulfshore Life Magazine in 2012.  He is the broker of Gulf Pointe Properties, Inc and has over 8 years experience in the SW Florida Real Estate Market.  He is a member of The Naples Area Board of Realtors, Bonita Springs – Estero Association of Realtors, Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach, The Florida Association of Realtors, The National Association of Realtors, and is nationally certified in Feng Shui for Real Estate.  Need real estate help?  Please contact Gabe at:  239.825.2234, Gabe@GulfPointeProperties.com  or www.GulfPointeProperties.com