An open house can be a great tool in the process of selling your home but there are certain things you can do to help boost the success. You also need to keep in mind that the buyer of your home statistically will not attend the open house but the people that do attend will tell their family and friends who will also pass on information, so it is important to get people to attend.

• Make sure your listing is available online with as much information and as many photos and videos as possible. Most potential buyers are researching online before they ever see your home and they want to gather as much information as possible. I have my listings on over 100 different websites.
• Advertise your open house at least a week in advance on all the real estate sites your home is on. Some sites have open house searches or actual open house apps and you want buyers to know about your open house. As soon as I know I will be having an open house I enter it on all the sites I have the listing on.
• Let your neighbors know that your home is for sale. Sure, neighbors are nosey and you may not want them involved but they know the neighborhood and may have family or friends that want to buy in the area. Make sure they know about the open house too! I actually send out postcards to at least 50 homes in the neighborhood announcing the listing and the open house so they can come by and/or let family and friends know about the listing and the open house.
• Make sure your home has lost your personality. Buyers need to imagine themselves and their belongings in the home, so you need to remove family photos, religious items and any other items that may be slightly controversial to a buyer. Your Realtor should coach you on this prior to putting your home up for sale so you have time to prepare.
• Whatever you do, leave before the open house begins and make sure to take your family and pets with you as some buyers do not care for pets. You may be an expert on your home but trust me, what you tell buyers may be just want they do not want in a house and buyers don’t feel comfortable looking around a home when the owner is right there.
• Your Realtor should be present during the open house but he or she can’t be everywhere at once and you don’t know how many people will attend, so be smart. Lock up or put out of sight any valuables, prescription drugs or other information that you do not want people to have access to. It is rare but people have taken things from homes during open houses.

Take a look at this short video to find out more about who I am and what I do!  Please call or email me if I can help you with any of your real estate needs!

Last week I held a First Time Home Buyer Seminar at St. Catherine’s University and had a nice turnout. There is really a lot of good information out there that buyers need to know in today’s market!  Yesterday I held a Life Transition/Downsizing Seminar at Arbors at Ridges in Burnsville for people that are needing to either move into a smaller home or a 55+ community type setting. Despite the sleet and snow about 25 people attended and were able to learn a lot about the current market and how the process of selling a home works today.  If your organization or company has people that would  be interested in a real estate seminar please let me know. I can adjust my program from first time home buyers to move up buyers to downsizing. The market has changed so much it is really helpful for buyers and sellers to know what they are up against before they start the buying or selling process!

Home buyers and sellers tend to always blame their Realtor when things do not go as they had planned, but is your Realtor the problem? Buyers and sellers are quick to just jump to a different Realtor if they don’t see the results they want in a short amount of time but this is not always the best decision.  Working with a Realtor is a two way street where each party needs to do their part. Sure there are all types of Realtors out there and not all Realtors are the same but you need to think about why you chose the Realtor you did and why the relationship is not working as you had planned.

If you are a buyer that is not finding the right property, think about what your Realtor has recommended and what you have put into the search.  Have you been open and honest with your home search criteria?  Have you made your schedule flexible so you can view properties when they come onto the market?  If you have lost out on homes in multiple offer situations, but not followed your Realtor’s suggestions on making an offer? Your Realtor can only do so much to find homes for you and they cannot read your mind to know what you are looking for. It is up to the buyer to also put in a certain amount of effort and to accept some guidance.

Is your home on the market and not selling? Have you priced your home as your Realtor suggested based on comparable properties? Is your home staged correctly and kept neat and orderly. Are you allowing showings when buyers request them? Don’t forget to take your emotions out of the sale. Just because you love your home as it is does not mean the buyers see it the same way. Let your Realtor give you an objective opinion and seriously consider what they have to say.

Sometimes it is necessary to switch Realtors because let’s face it, not everyone “clicks”. But often buyers and sellers blame their Realtor for things that are actually their own fault. Before you move on to a new Realtor take a good thorough look at your situation and make sure that not only your Realtor, but you are also doing everything you can to buy or sell a home.