Open houses are an integral part of selling a home but also a nice part of driving around on a Saturday and scoping out a neighborhood. People visit open houses for all sorts of reasons and that is perfectly fine! But, as a realtor, there are just a few things I would ask you keep in mind.

Yep! I am going to ask you ALL the questions — Look, I am not here for my health….I am here to sell my client’s house. So yes, I am going to ask you a lot of questions but please, don’t freak out. Most agents giving an open house will ask a few questions of everyone that walks in the door. Here are some popular ones:

1. How long have you been shopping for a new home? — This is for us to know how serious you are about buying. If the answer is “I am just here because I saw the sign and was curious” great! Look around all you want and I will probably ask you what your impression of the home is when you are finished. If the answer is “We just began looking and like the neighborhood so dropped in” also great! Knowing a little about what a neighborhood can offer is a great place to start….but I am going to follow this up with:
2. Are you already working with a real estate agent exclusively? — Here is the thing….I’m not asking this so I can immediately pull out a contract and ask you to sign in blood so you are beholden to me for all the rest of your days….I am asking this because I don’t want to be a jerk. Real estate agents respect other agents and would rather not break a few understood rules, and a major one is “thou shalt not steal another agent’s clients.” or “don’t be a jerk!” If you are working with someone, awesome! I will probably ask you who so I can call THEM to get your feedback on the home. If you are not working with anyone, then yes of course I would love to be your agent, but please see my last post here. I don’t believe in anyone just willy-nilly signing a contract but I will try for your business and hope that you decide to work with me!
3.  How do you feel about the price? — Hey, I get it, we were all told early on that you never “let ’em know you like it” when negotiating. The old trope that you are a sucker if you let on that the price might be fair doesn’t exactly work here since the owner of the house, NOT the agent, makes all decisions on offers. I mean, yes be discreet about your financial situation and don’t loudly announce to other buyers that you might be making an offer but I would love a thoughtful answer if you can. If you are a neighbor just dropping in, let me know you haven’t shopped enough to know. If you truly think it is overpriced, let me know what you have seen in other houses in the area to back that up. If you think the price is completely fair, awesome! It is always nice to know I am doing right by my sellers. 

Please feel free to ask ME all the questions — Heck yes you should have a list of things you want to ask an agent at an open house! Heck no you are not bothering us! If you are truly  interested in the house, make a list of those things that are important for you to know before making an offer. Some good ones to keep in mind:

1. How long has this property been on the market? — Yes, you can ask your agent or do the research yourself BUT a great thing about asking the selling agent is that we can put some context to the information. Has it been on the market for a few months in a super hot area? Maybe the sellers had an offer fall through and you are just in time! Did it just go on the market this week and maybe already has 5 offers today? That will help you to decide how badly you want to make a competing offer. 
2. How much do utilities cost? — Okay fellow Coloradans, I know you are with me here. There is a huge difference between winter and summer water bills in this area since we tend NOT to water our grass when it is snowing. Knowing what the bill might look like before you decide on two acres of beautifully manicured lawn might be the difference between filet mignon and mac n’ cheese. Knowing that the heating bill is astronomical might clue you into the fact that the beautiful historic house you are looking at needs new windows real quick like. This can be a goldmine of information and help on that “should we make an offer?” question.
3. What can you tell me about the neighbors/neighborhood? — This is a great place to start to get a feel for the neighborhood. Kid friendly? A lot of paths for long dog walks? Minutes to the best sushi place ever? If you are lucky, one of those neighbors might just be looking at the open house at the same time. I think it is fantastic when a neighbor can tell a prospective buyer how wonderful the neighborhood really is, after all, they are the ones who live in it daily. 

Last but not least, please be respectful. You are touring another person’s home and it is important to take care. If your shoes are muddy, take ’em off. If your children are young, keep ’em with you. Yes, we have invited everyone in. Please, treat the home as you would want your home to be treated. No, we don’t need to know everything that you hate about the space. YES, we want you to have a great time and hopefully see the house of your dreams!