4/21/11

Will an Open House Help You Sell Your Rock Creek Forest Home?

The “For Sale” sign is up; you’ve got a great agent; the house is in lovely Rock Creek Forest. So now it’s time to schedule the Open House. But will it help? According to the AOL Real Estate  website, there are several things to consider for a productive open house.

Statistics show that 95 percent of potential buyers will visit an open house within three months of making a decision.  However, so too will many “browsers” who aren’t looking to buy right away. But even those who just peruse can be helpful by providing positive and negative reactions to various aspects of the home which you as the seller can then enhance or correct.

To make an open house productive, be sure to schedule it when convenient for working folks and parents, typically on a weekend. Hold the open house with regular frequency so if interested buyers miss one weekend they can come back on the next one.  And be sure to have a friendly, knowledgeable real estate agent on site who can tell potential buyers about the house and the local real estate market.

Rather than hopping in their cars, potential buyers now use the Internet for “virtual drive-bys.” So how you present your Rock Creek Forest home online will impact the success of your open house.  Consider photos, videos, virtual tours, and even a separate web site for the home, but remember to leave some things for the buyers to discover only when inside the house.

When would you ever skip an open house? Generally it’s not a good choice if 1) the property needs work and it’s dangerous to be inside or 2) there are tenants living there.

Even though an open house leads to a sale only about one-third of the time, it’s still worth the effort.  You’ll get feedback on your home’s good and bad points and will have people talking to others about your house—and who doesn’t want free advertising?  Used properly, the open house can be a valuable selling tool.

Contact me, Mynor Herrera, today for expert help buying or selling in the DC, MD, & VA areas! I also specialize in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, as well as the sub-divisions of Rosemary Hills, Rock Creek Forest, East Bethesda & Whitehall Condominium.

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