By Johanna Wiseman
Open House season is upon us. If you are out and about on the weekend, you will see the signs.
This year, we are experiencing high demand for homes, and competitive bidding. Buyers rightly feel that they should see a new listing as soon as possible. An open house draws many visitors in a short window of time. It’s useful if the sellers want to limit the number of times they have to straighten up and wrangle pets or other household members, to clear the way for visitors. An open house can concentrate a larger number of buyer visits to a short timeframe.
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Because of high demand, the recent open house visitor count is much greater than in prior years. Some agents are letting visitors flow into homes spontaneously, causing crowding that not everyone feels comfortable with during COVID times. Other agents are asking visitors to wait in line outside, which is tense and uncomfortable for many reasons: waiting in line with your competition is awkward, the delays disrupt plans, and the weather may be unpleasant. Neighbors have complained that the sudden arrival of so many parked cars creates a road hazard to pedestrians, pets, and bikes.
Many sellers decide not to hold an open house. They do not want anyone but serious buyers to see their home. They prefer to avoid “nosy neighbors” and curious passers-by who aren’t really in the market or ready to buy. Another concern is that the high volume of traffic leaves the home and its contents vulnerable to damage. The more people wandering through an unfamiliar home at the same time, the greater the chance of an accident. Experience tells us that motivated and qualified buyers will make an appointment for a private showing and that their accompanying real estate agent will help keep buyers focused on the property.
I’ve hosted many open houses over the years, in all market conditions. There have been mobs, and there have been crickets. I have stories, but I’ll save them for a future installment.
Local expert Johanna Wiseman of RE/MAX Preferred Professionals can be reached at 908-705-0652, or visit www.MyBridgewaterHome.com