3 Open House Tips for Sellers and Buyers

Are you looking to sell your home quickly and get the best market price? One of the most effective techniques for getting things done fast is hosting an open house. While great photos are key to driving interest in your listing, there’s something about getting people standing in your home that really helps them visualize what their life could be like there. 

With a few simple tips, you'll be able to create a perfectly successful open house. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the key things to know before you hold an open house of your very own to make it a success. Get ready — hosting an open house could be the key to selling faster than you ever thought possible.

The Seller’s Guide To Open Houses 

Seller Tip 1: Keep personal items out of sight.

Before your broker hosts an open house event, get everything that's non-essential out of the home to make it easy for prospective buyers to imagine themselves in the space (15 Tips to Prepare Your Home For Sale). When I'm out with buyers, the first thing they do is look at family photos. People are nosy by nature. So getting as many of your personal items out of there so potential buyers can come in and envision their life in the home instead of your life is super important.

You’ll also want to hide away any clutter or mess around your home — think kitchen counters, bedside tables, and bathroom vanities. Make sure your bed is made, your closet looks (somewhat) organized, and your pet toys are gathered and stored. 

Seller Tip 2: Make sure the exterior looks as good as the interior.

You might immediately want to focus on staging and cleaning your house, but don’t neglect the outside. First impressions are everything when potential buyers pull up to your home. If it applies to you, mow the lawn, change that burnt-out lightbulb, and touch up the chipping paint on the door before you host an open house to attract potential buyers to your listing. People eat with their eyes with houses too, and you don’t want serious buyers losing their appetite before they even set foot in the door. And to top it all off, make sure there is a visible open house sign near your home and on street corners.

Seller Tip 3: Make sure people know about your open house.

Open houses aren’t a “if you build it, they will come” type of event, even for homebuyers — you’ll need to market your listing to ensure you get a good turnout of potential buyers and as much foot traffic as possible. Make sure your real estate agent sets your open house so it's published to all the usual house-hunting sources: the MLS (multiple listing service), the Zillows, the Redfins, the Compasses of the world.

You’ll also want to start to promote open houses as soon as possible so potential buyers can plan their weekend, plan their day, or give their agents enough time to plan it out for them. If you have a great agent, they’ll also be posting about your open house on social media (this is where having quality photos really comes into play), sending it out in an email and using word of mouth to tell their network of home buyers about your home. We know we already mentioned signs, but they're a great way to get the attention of people that aren't in your or your agent's network — you'd be surprised how many potential buyers visit open houses just because they saw a sign on your street corner or a nearby block. If you are using a home staging service, the home will show much better and potential home buyers can envision how the rooms will look furnished.

The Buyer’s Guide To Open Houses 

Now, what if you’re on the buyer’s side? What should you expect when you start going to open houses in the search of a new home?

Buyer Tip 1: Always go with an agent. 

Open houses are just one of many times you’ll be glad you’re working with a trusted real estate agent. Not only should they be alerting you of new listings and open houses to check out, but they’ll also set them up with the seller.

But even beyond that, you’ll want your agent when you attend an open house there to guide you through the home, things you may not have noticed on your own, and help you understand how the key points compare to similar properties in the neighborhood. Sellers are always biased about their own home (and understandably so, they live there and love it), but it's important to have an agent to keep you grounded in the facts.

Buyer Tip 2: If you don’t have an agent, talk to the person sitting at the open house. 

If you don’t yet have an agent, there will always be a seller's agent representing the seller present at the open house who can answer questions and guide you through the property if needed. Talk to them! See if they’re someone you’d like to work with yourself. You can always ask them to help you in your home search, even if the house you’re viewing isn’t the one for you — you never know what other listing they or their team might have or others they might know of that could be perfect for you.

Buyer Tip 3: Do your best to ignore what’s in the space and imagine your own things there. 

This is a hard one, but it’s important to imagine the home as a blank slate instead of the state it’s in when you tour it. Just because the paint colors, furniture, or kitchen backsplash aren’t your style doesn’t mean you should write off a great property. Think about where your own furniture would look great in the space, how you’d arrange it, or what you might use a room for. It’s also important to consider what can be changed versus what can’t — paint colors are easy, while floor plans…not so much.

Whether you’re buying or selling, open houses can be key to falling in love with a home (or having a potential buyer fall in love with your home), so don’t write them off!