Open houses are a highly debated topic in real estate. Some will swear by them and others will say they are a complete waste of time. As with everything, there are PROS and CONS to open houses. An example of a positive outcome from open houses is the opportunity for Realtors to pick up additional buyers. An example of a negative outcome is the possibility for theft. My personal opinion is that open houses are a great opportunity for a newer agent just getting started in the business who is in need of picking up additional buyers. An agent who has proven results and experience does not need open houses to sell a home, there are many other ways to accomplish this goal. Check out this article that provides many different PROS as well as the possible CONS of open houses in real estate at http://www.rochesterrealestateblog.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-open-houses-in-real-estate/

1. rochesterrealestateblog.com http://www.rochesterrealestateblog.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-open-houses-in-real-estate/
The Pros and Cons Of Open Houses in Real Estate
The Pros And Cons Of Open Houses In Real Estate
Open houses in real estate are a
highly debated topic both by home
owners and also real estate
professionals. In fact, this article is
sure to spark some debate between
home owners and also real estate
professionals.
The truth is that some seller’s will
insist that having open houses are
something that will sell their homes,
others will want nothing to do with
open houses, and some seller’s will
be on the fence. The same can be
said about some real estate
professionals. Some will swear that
open houses are a critical event to
have, other Realtors will never hold
open houses, and others will
periodically have open houses.
So, if you’re selling a home, should
you have open houses? Almost any
decision that has to be made will
have it’s positive outcomes but also
it’s negative outcomes, and this is no
different when it comes to open
houses in real estate. Ultimately, if
you’re selling a home and you’re
unsure whether you want to have
open houses, you need to be aware
of the possible positives from having
an open house but also need to be
aware of the possible negative
results from an open house.
Below are the pros and cons of open
houses in real estate. Having a
strong understanding of these pros
and cons can make it much easier to
decide if open houses are something you should participate in or not.
Pros To Holding Open Houses
Attract Buyers Who May Not Know How To Start The Home Buying Process

2. Open Houses Allow Potential Buyers To Look At A Home Without Pressure
Buying a home is not a process that most are familiar with, especially first time home buyer’s. Home buyer’s often
need a significant amount of guidance, tips, and advice throughout the home buying process. Some buyer’s don’t
even know whether they should contact a Realtor or a bank first when buying a home.
A potential positive to deciding to hold open houses is the possibility of a home buyer who does not know how to start
the home buying process will attend. A home buyer who may see a sign on the corner of a street when driving may
potentially stop and get more information from the hosting Realtor on the home buying process. More buyer’s in the
market is a positive for any seller, of course, if they are qualified buyer’s.
Additional Exposure
Choosing a Realtor based solely on the fact they will hold open houses every week is one of the biggest mistakes
seller’s make when choosing a Realtor. One of the most important things for a Realtor selling a home is making sure
their clients home is getting a ton of exposure. Without maximum exposure and a strong marketing system, the
chances of a home selling are greatly reduced.
Open houses can give additional exposure to a seller’s home. Whether it’s street signs, newspaper ads, or internet
ads that are promoting the open house, having an open house can lead to additional exposure.
Allows Buyers To Not Feel
Pressured
Open houses, in general, are very
laid back events. The majority of
real estate professionals who host
open houses will allow buyer’s to
tour the home with little to no
pressure. Obviously there are some
Realtors who feel they should be
hard selling their seller’s home, but
unfortunately this usually just makes
them look like a fool.
Open houses normally give buyer’s
the option to view a home without
the pressure of a Realtor or seller.
Some buyer’s like to analyze a
home in detail without having a time
constraint or pressure. This can
allow a buyer to identify whether
they like a home and also look at the
items that they should be looking at
when viewing homes.
Allows Realtors To Pick Up New
Buyer’s
How is a Realtor picking up new
buyers a positive for a home seller?
It’s not! Unfortunately, many real
estate agents fail to mention this to a
seller as a pro of open houses
because it does not benefit them.

3. Many potential buyer’s who visit
open houses have yet to establish a
relationship with a Realtor. This
gives the hosting Realtor the
opportunity to convert this buyer into
one of their buyer’s. If you’re a
home owner thinking of selling, it’s
important you understand that a
Realtor may host an open house
with the intention of not selling your
home, but to pick up additional
buyer’s.
Cons To Holding Open Houses
Slim Chance Of A Sale
Are open houses necessary to sell a
home? The answer is absolutely
not! The percentage of homes that
actually sell as a result of an open
house is less than 2-3%.
How do homes get sold then if they
are not being sold at open houses?
When selling a home, you want
there to be private showings. The
majority of homes are sold when a
buyer has a Realtor, requests an
appointment, and tours your home
privately. The crowd that an open
house attracts is more than likely not
going to be the crowd that is going to
purchase the home.
Unqualified Buyers
One of the first steps in the home
buying process is obtaining a
mortgage pre-approval. It’s important to obtain a mortgage pre-approval for many reasons when buying a home.
One drawback to having open houses is the possibility of unqualified buyer’s attending the open house.
Would you want people walking through your home that cannot afford to buy it? Of course not! It’s next to impossible
to screen open house attendees to ensure they are qualified to purchase the home.
Nosy Neighbors & “Lookie-Loos”
Another negative to holding open houses is the fact that they do an excellent job attracting nosy neighbors and
“lookie-loos.” Nosy neighbors love to stop at an open house to see how their neighbors home compares to their own.
In addition to seeing how their home compares, neighbors like to stop at their neighbors open houses to see how the
house is decorated.

4. Open Houses Are Great For Attracting Nosy Neighbors & Lookie-Loos
What are “lookie-loos?” A “lookie-loo” is a person who stops at open houses with absolutely no intention of buying a
home. Sounds pretty silly, right? It
happens quite often and the fact is,
these people are never going to
buy the home and are looking
because they don’t have anything
better to do.
Security Issues
Break-ins and vandalizing are two
things that are a reality. The
chances of this happening increase
when selling a home, especially if
you’re selling a vacant home. Open
houses allow criminals the
opportunity to explore a home with
little to no supervision and can give
them the opportunity to plan out their
crime.
Recently while selling a home in
Rochester, NY, the home was
broken into and the copper plumbing
was stolen and the property was
damaged a couple weeks after an
open house. Whether the crime was
a direct result from one of the open
house attendees is unknown,
however, there are stories
developing across the United States
of people “casing” homes during
open houses. Before deciding
whether to have an open house or
not, you need to consider the
security issues.
Possible Theft
If you decide to hold an open house,
make sure you remove all valuable
items before the open house event. The possibility for theft during an open house does exist. There are criminals out
there who will steal not only valuable jewelry and electronics, but also will steal prescription drugs and other items.
If you decide to hold open houses, make sure you discuss with your Realtor their procedures on open houses. Do
they take any additional precautionary steps? The most important thing is to understand that theft can happen and no
Realtor will take the responsibility for missing items from an open house.
Final Thoughts
The pros and cons of open houses need to be carefully considered before deciding whether open houses are worth it
or not. Personally, I believe open houses have many more negatives than positives and are merely just a

5. common real estate myth. Open houses are “old fashioned” and today’s home buyer’s are very savvy and do most of
their research online, before visiting a home.
There are many things that a Realtor should be doing before they need to resort to using open houses as a “selling”
tactic. Below are several of the things a top producing Realtor will provide as well as some questions you should
consider when interviewing a Realtor to sell your home.
Captures excellent photographs of a home utilizing high quality equipment and technology.
Has a strong online presence including the ability of their website to rank highly in competitive search terms on
the major search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!
Understands the importance of search engine optimization.
Has a strong social media presence on many social media websites, such as Google+, Facebook, Twitter,
Pinterest, and many others.
Demonstrates the drive to go above and beyond to develop videos, feature sheets, property information
packets, and other marketing materials.
Clearly demonstrates strong communication skills and the ability to provide top notch service.
How many homes do you sell a year when representing the seller’s?
What is your average list price to sale price ratio?
Other Resources Related To Open Houses
Is A Real Estate Open House Necessary to Sell Homes? via RISmedia HouseCall Blog
Sketchy Real Estate Practices – The Open House via Todd Waller Real Estate
The Truth About Open Houses via List.ly
How To Avoid Getting Robbed At An Open House via Maximum Real Estate Exposure
The Guide To Open Houses via Storify
If you’re selling a home in Rochester, NY or thinking of selling your home? It’s critical that you consider all of
the pros and cons to open houses before deciding whether you’ll have them or not. If you’re still unsure whether
open houses will be worth it or not, contact me, and I’d love to share my expertise on how I can get your home sold,
without open houses.
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About the authors: The above article “The Pros and Cons Of Open Houses In Real Estate” was provided by the
Keith Hiscock Sold Team (Keith & Kyle Hiscock). With over 30 years combined experience, if you’re thinking
of selling or buying, we’d love to share our knowledge and expertise.
We service the following Greater Rochester NY areas: Irondequoit, Webster, Penfield, Pittsford, Fairport, Brighton,
Greece, Gates, Hilton, Brockport, Mendon, Henrietta, Perinton, Churchville, Scottsville, East Rochester, Rush,
Honeoye Falls, Chili, and Victor NY.
Visit our website at www.HiscockHomes.com.
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