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Get out more. In some areas, the open house is how lots of houses are selling. California for one and that being a pretty good market, it is of significance. Open house Sun/ offers in by Tuesday, accepted with 3 days. In fact, often the sellers won't accept offers until after the open house. Sounds strange? Maybe but it is working out that way. Sellers aren't even accepting pre-emptive offers regardless of amount.
California is a huge state and most of it continues to flat line. There are however, some red hot spots and no doubt, the Open House /Multiple bid strategy works. I don't care how hot a market is, a professional home inspection should follow, unless the buyer has comparable experience/skills to make their own assessment and is able to distinguish between normal wear and tear, routine maintenance issues and the big $ stuff.
When you are in someone else's home, the respectful thing to do is mind your manners. You may be an honest person, but you are a stranger ... we can't tell motive by looking at you; but we can tell a lot by a looker's cavalier attitude. Agents who let people wander through their sellers' homes should find another job; they are either stupid or wet behind the ears, or both.
What manners? I follow the agent around the home. They talk a lot. Just because I'm in someone's home, I have to listen to their agent's commentary?
Speaking of manners, I get the cold shoulder from seller's agents all the time. Because I'm dressed like a slob in Manhattan? It's not till I tell them I'm paying cash that I can get any kind of attention.
I don't touch anything during tours or open houses, but I tend to ignore the agent as well. I don't like people directing where I look, or telling me what's charming, distracting me from things I'm looking for, etc. When I'm ready, I'll ask for specific data.
I apologize if that offends any agents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnytang24
What manners? I follow the agent around the home. They talk a lot. Just because I'm in someone's home, I have to listen to their agent's commentary?
Speaking of manners, I get the cold shoulder from seller's agents all the time. Because I'm dressed like a slob in Manhattan? It's not till I tell them I'm paying cash that I can get any kind of attention.
The above are your words. Cash is no big deal. Millions of well qualified people who have financing already in place, could easily pay cash if they desire, and sometimes do, depending on what they are purchasing.
If someone walks through the door at an open house dressed like a vagrant, they will be watched more closely. Yes, you do have to listen to the agent's commentary when you are inside his seller's home. Don't attempt to bait me into an argument. End of discussion, thanks for your input!
Interesting. I never actually went to an open house as an actual potential buyer. Those I had appointments with my realtor. I certainly did go to a few open houses when we were out and about and wanted to see some houses, but there was not any chance we would have bought any of those.
The above are your words. Cash is no big deal. Millions of well qualified people who have financing already in place, could easily pay cash if they desire, and sometimes do, depending on what they are purchasing.
If someone walks through the door at an open house dressed like a vagrant, they will be watched more closely. Yes, you do have to listen to the agent's commentary when you are inside his seller's home. Don't attempt to bait me into an argument. End of discussion, thanks for your input!
I have no idea what you're trying to say. Those are my experiences. YOU are the one trying to argue with me.
I also don't get why you say I HAVE to listen to the agent, unless it is something specific, such as "Don't step on the rug." What happens if I don't listen when the agent tells me 'how cute the window work' is?
I'd direct you to leave the house if you came in with an attitude. The idea is to sell the house, and if someone steps through the door with an attitude that they'd rather not hear anything about the house then they're obviously not a qualified buyer for that house. I'm not in the business of providing decorating advice. I'm also responsible for the security of my client's property and one thing that should concern any agent is when someone comes in and tries to ignore the listing agent.
I think checking faucets and flushing toilets at open houses is a bit extreme, it seems more acceptable at a second showing, Howver, I think the atitude of letting the home inspection catch things is misplaced.
I don't care how great your inspector is, you should be checking out the condition of the house yourself they should really just be the last line of defense. If you're buying a house its your problem once you buy it. what someone finds acceptable as far as water pressure or condition of things may not be your opinion. If you haven't thoroughly checked over the house prior to making an offer, you're doing yourself a disservice and just causing major headaches for both you and the seller when something is "discovered" later that was in plain sight when you made the offer.
Having met 3 home inspectors in the process of buying my house and selling I can say, I'm not too impressed for a number of reasons. They write their reports to cover their butts or extract money from a seller, not to be helpful or identify real issues. Spending lots of ink on stupid crap that doesn't make a difference, or in some cases was just flat out wrong. I'm amazed at how little training is required to become one.
If you are a Looky Lou, or a Sunday Bunny, keep your hands to yourself.
I'm a looky lou and I don't keep my hands to myself at open houses. If the house is vacant I often look in all the closets, cabinets, etc. If it's owner-occupied I may sneak a look in the closets or cabinets; I don't feel this is intrusive because it's an open house and I'm not a thief.
I'm a looky lou and I don't keep my hands to myself at open houses. If the house is vacant I often look in all the closets, cabinets, etc. If it's owner-occupied I may sneak a look in the closets or cabinets; I don't feel this is intrusive because it's an open house and I'm not a thief.
Sometimes I attend an open house and from my attire, you'd think I couldn't afford a bicycle. I'm not there to impress anyone, money talks.
If the seller offers an open house and people are stealing things or causing damage, then the Realtor hosting the open house isn't doing their job. Prior to an open house, the Realtor should be assisting the seller with best practices to secure valuable, label those places not open for looking and so on. What in earth are those Realtors being paid to do if not something that simple?
$250 gets cameras in almost all rooms these days and lots of houses have security system with cameras. What is the big deal?
The fact is you (seller or Realtor) can't pick out a buyer from a lookie loo to save your life. You think you can but you only need to be wrong once to pass up on that buyer who can pay cash.
There are all kinds of ways to allow detailed looks during an open house while maintaining the security of valuables, prevent damage and avoid other issues involving privacy and security. If the Realtor won't or can't manage to do it, then you have the wrong Realtor. They are getting paid very well indeed for the effort they make. On a $500,000 house there is $30,000 give or take going into the Realtor's pockets (please, this thing about the broker and all, you chose the profession not the seller). What are they doing for that money? The least they can do if you want an open house (and it should be YOUR choice, not the Realtor's) is to put in more effort than stand there.
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Agents who let people wander through their sellers' homes should find another job; they are either stupid or wet behind the ears, or both.
Oh crap
