{"id":2207,"date":"2019-01-23T14:57:39","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T19:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.realtyhop.com\/blog\/?p=2207"},"modified":"2022-07-29T15:49:59","modified_gmt":"2022-07-29T19:49:59","slug":"are-people-still-having-open-houses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.realtyhop.com\/blog\/are-people-still-having-open-houses\/","title":{"rendered":"Are People Still Having Open Houses?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Home sellers and potential buyers are likely both familiar with the term \u201copen house\u201d, where a seller organizes a few hours to allow anyone to view their available property. First recorded in the early 1910s, open houses have proved a standard method of marketing a new home for over a century. However, with the influx of new technology and after sellers had to make modifications during COVID-19, are open houses as integral, and common, as they used to be?<\/p>\n

What happens at an open house?<\/h2>\n

Typically held on a weekend morning or afternoon, an open house lasts for several hours and serves as an opportunity for potential buyers to come and view the home. For home sellers, an open house is usually beneficial in terms of scheduling, as it allows multiple interested parties to view the home in one day. While most attendees at an open house are potential buyers, some neighbors and curious community members are also eligible to attend, drawing a diverse crowd.<\/p>\n

If a homeowner puts the home on the market on their own, they will likely be the person hosting the open house. However, it is most common that the homeowner enlists the help of a seller\u2019s agent for the selling process, and that agent and their team will host the open house. This gives potential buyers the chance to ask the agent any questions about the home. If the potential buyer is interested in the home after the open house, they may either reach out to their agent to schedule a private viewing or place an offer if they\u2019re in a competitive market.<\/p>\n

Potential buyers at an open house can ask questions, take notes, potentially capture photos and videos with approval, and communicate with the selling party if they\u2019re interested in moving forward.<\/p>\n

What happened to open houses during the pandemic?<\/h2>\n

Throughout the pandemic, open houses were not safe to host or attend, so selling teams had to get more creative with how they sold homes to potential buyers. While many potential homebuyers simply delayed their search and waited a year or two to buy, there were still people looking to purchase property during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Luckily, an influx in technology-based selling features helped buyers get a decent picture of the property they were interested in. On top of standard photography, agents utilized the help of products like Matterport<\/a>, where potential buyers can click step-by-step through a home while looking at the listing online. Some agents filmed video tours that were available to view at a client\u2019s leisure on a house\u2019s listing page, or completed video call walk-throughs in real-time. Other agents hosted visual open houses. Companies and products like Kleard<\/a>, BombBomb<\/a>, and Immoviewer<\/a> also helped agents take advantage of technology to best market a home. All of these techniques gave potential buyers as close to an idea of what the home looked and felt like without having to risk exposure to the virus.<\/p>\n

Some of these practices have held on strong, even as standard in-person open houses started up again. Providing more information for a client early on in the process saves all parties time as the buyers can quickly determine if they are interested in learning more about the home.<\/p>\n

Pros and cons of open houses<\/h2>\n

If you are debating whether or not to host an open house for your property, you can consider the following pros and cons.<\/p>\n

Pros<\/h3>\n