Are you determined to sell your clients' homes faster than ever this spring? You might want to make hosting open houses one of your top priorities.
Research shows that a house shown in an open house sells for around $9,000 more than a house not shown in an open house does. On top of this, it typically sells a week faster.
Still, although open houses can be a great way to showcase your properties to potential buyers, you need to understand the don'ts of open houses for the best results. Here's a rundown on the most common open house mistakes and how to avoid them this selling season.
Let's jump in!
Hovering Around Potential Buyers at Open Houses
One of the biggest mistakes that a real estate agent can make is to hover around a potential buyer at an open house.
As the seller's agent, you should be focused on welcoming potential buyers to the seller's home and then stepping away. It's critical that you let these buyers explore the house at the pace that works best for them.
If a buyer approaches you, you can gladly answer their questions. Otherwise, don't bother them and distract them from viewing the house on their terms.
Poor Choice of Music
Another common mistake during an open house is to play the wrong type of music during the event.
It's okay to play soothing jazz as long as the volume isn't too loud. Other genres of music -- especially when played loudly -- will only distract buyers from the home. You might even offend potential buyers if they don't like your choice of music.
Some buyers may also suspect that you are attempting to hide something if you're playing the music too loudly. For instance, they might think the music is loud because you're trying to drown out neighborhood noises, road noise, construction noise, or a playground.
So, be sure to play mild music or avoid playing music altogether during an open house.
Leaving Valuables Lying Around
Yet another common open house mistake is to leave valuables lying around the property.
Some of the people who show up at open houses are genuinely interested in the homes being sold. However, others may simply be curious gawkers or petty thieves. For this reason, your sellers' valuables should be locked up in safes during their open houses.
These important items could range from cash to jewelry and even credit cards.
You should also hide any important documents you don't want potential buyers to see. Such documents include your listing contract, relocation papers, brokerage accounts, and bank statements. This sensitive information may be used against you and the seller during the negotiation process and could also lead to identity theft.
Uncomfortable Temperature
Keeping your for-sale property at an uncomfortable temperature is also a no-no during an open house.
Prospective buyers don't want to enter a sweltering house in the thick of summer. Likewise, they don't want to step into a cold house in the middle of winter.
To avoid turning prospective buyers off, you should try to keep your for-sale home moderately warm in the winter and mildly cool during the summer months. The more comfortable your open house guests are, the longer they will stay. This will increase their chances of wanting to do business with you and your seller.
If the home's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system is struggling to keep the house comfortable, your seller might want to get it repaired before you show the home.
Incomplete Staging
Not staging your home enough is another major open house mistake.
When staging your for-sale home, try to stage the entire home. If you can't due to lack of time or resources, stage the house's first floor at the very least.
If you decorate just a couple of rooms well and the rest of the house is in disarray, this will only confuse your guests and make them less likely to take you seriously. So, make sure, at the very least, whatever rooms aren’t staged are clean and tidy.
The better you stage your home, the easier it will be for prospective buyers to see your house's potential. This may boost your likelihood of making a sale following the open house.
Bad Smells
Repulsive smells can also turn an open house into a disaster by becoming a distraction.
For instance, avoid setting up heavy air freshening devices throughout the house you're trying to sell, as they can become off-putting.
In addition, avoid cleaning the house with strong-smelling products, like vinegar or beach, before the open house. The odors from these products may bother buyers and even cause them to suspect that you are attempting to hide something from them.
If you want to make your for-sale property smell fresh, you can simply burn some candles with mild scents. These scents should not be overpowering, only slightly noticeable.
Adding alluring scents to the home may especially be helpful if you have pets or smoke cigarettes.
Roaming Pets
Speaking of pets, you should avoid allowing Fido or Felix to roam around the house during an open house for a few reasons.
First, your seller's pets might become anxious or scared due to seeing strangers in their home. The pets may end up attacking a potential buyer as a result.
Second, potential buyers might be allergic to the homeowner's pets.
Third, some buyers aren't animal lovers, so seeing pets may turn them off from your property.
Finally, pets can behave unpredictably. You don't want your seller's dog suddenly relieving itself on the carpet or floor in front of a prospective buyer.
To avoid these issues, encourage your seller to take their friends to doggy daycare or a friend's home during the open house.
In addition, you may want to remove every trace of a pet, including toys, food trays, bedding, and litter boxes. Be sure to also get rid of any stains that your seller's pets have left behind.
Inadequate Number of Signs
Another common mistake made during open houses is not putting up enough signs near the for-sale property.
Ideally, you should set up signs along the busiest roads near the house, as well as at the property. In addition, use directional arrows to point them in the right direction. Otherwise, passersby won't know that you're hosting the event, or they may struggle to find the house in time.
Messy House
You should also make sure that the home you are trying to sell has been decluttered ahead of your open house. Presenting a product that is clean and attractive will make it that much easier to make a sale.
For instance, be sure to remove all unnecessary items, grime, and dirt, which will make your house unappealing. Items that may need to be removed include figurines, old mail, and even boxes from previous purchases.
Blocking Off Parts of the House
A major mistake that some sellers and real estate agents make is to block off certain parts of the home they're trying to sell.
For example, you might be tempted to block a buyer from viewing the daughter's or son's unkempt bedroom. However, this will only frustrate would-be buyers and make them think you can't be trusted.
In light of this, it's paramount that you take time to fully clean every part of the home. Don't host an open house until you have time to make every room accessible and attractive for guests.
Shoddy Exterior
Finally, don't forget to also give the exterior of the home you are selling some tender loving care.
Depending on your location, the exterior of the home might gather grime from one season to the next. Visitors may, unfortunately, notice dingy windows, siding covered with mildew and mold, and clogged gutters.
Like the house's interior, its exterior should be fresh and clean to impress potential buyers. Pay especially close attention to the home's driveway, as buyers won't miss it.
How We Can Help
Some of the most common mistakes that real estate agents make at open houses include playing distracting music and not having enough lighting in the house. Other mistakes range from leaving clutter around to allowing pets to wander freely.
At Hommati, we understand how complicated home selling can be, and this is why we make the process a breeze. For instance, we can take high-definition photos of your property and even create a virtual home tour for your listing.
Contact us to learn more about how we can help you sell your clients' homes this year!