Open houses are becoming as obsolete as coin-operated pay telephones…and good riddance too. The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Survey of Buyers and Sellers show such an insignificant number of buyers using open houses to search for a home that they no longer include open houses as a category in the survey results.
96% of Buyers Use the Internet as their Primary Search Tool
Technology, personal computers and the internet have irreversibly changed the way REALTORS market homes and the way people shop for a home. In San Mateo County more than 96% of prospective home buyers use the internet as their primary search tool and information resource.
Internet Savvy REALTORS Recognize the Ineffectiveness of Open Houses
Almost everyone in the real estate profession recognizes the utter ineffectiveness of open houses as a marketing tool. Still some REALTORS do continue to hold homes open. Clearly, a minority of REALTORS resist the technological change. Whether they are too old or too ignorant can be argued by others, but it’s clear they refuse to adapt. Some near retirement are winding down and conserving their financial resources, some are simply mentally locked into their deeply ingrained comfort zone.
You Still See Open Houses…Why?
There is, however, another group of REALTORS who feel the need to make it appear to the seller that they are doing something to get to home sold. Many of these are new, inexperienced realtors who have few listing or marketing skills and are hoping to keep the seller at bay while maybe latching onto a potential home buyer. The reality is that financially qualified, emotionally ready, and well prepared home buyers are using the internet to find a home and then when they do, hire an agent to negotiate the purchase and manage the details of the transaction. Yet, some ill-informed agents offer to hold open houses even when studies show that open houses are obviously ineffective…to the point of obscurity… and may in fact pose a significant security risk for both home owners and realtors alike.
Open Houses Pose a Significant Security Risk
REALTORS are regularly notified of murders, rapes, and robberies that occur at open houses or as a result of an open house. In fact, being a REALTOR is one of the more dangerous professions in the United States. That fact should not be surprising when you acknowledge that the agent has no control over who comes into the open house and often the front door is left wide open for everyone. Clearly, many people come to open houses that have no intention of buying a home. Nosy neighbors, time killers, people looking for free food or a bathroom, and even others who have less than benign motives use open houses for their personal agenda. Does the expression “casing the joint” mean anything to you? None of these people should be invited into your home.
Internet Marketing is Much More Effective than Open Houses Ever Were
It’s time to relegate open houses to the trash heap of archaic marketing ideas. A well written, detailed internet ad with plenty of quality photographs, school information, and maps will be more effective than open houses ever were even in their most productive times.
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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.
Raymond Stoklosa, Broker/Co-Owner
Chela Stoklosa, Realtor/Co-Owner
