Tricks for Hosting a Great Open House in Albuquerque
What are some ways you can make your open house a hit with buyers?
Time It Right
Typically, agents will hold open houses for about 2-3 hours, between 11 am - 5pm on the weekend. This is a time when buyers are more flexible, since many don't work on the weekend. Just make sure to avoid holding an open house on a holiday, during a big community event, or on Super Bowl Sunday or another big game day.
Let Your Agent Take the Lead
Your real estate agent plays two roles during an open house. For you, they direct the open house and give you instructions on how to prepare for the big day. For buyers, they're the host, making guests feel welcome and showing off the features of your home.
Your job is to make your house look like a million bucks — or more like $300,000, depending on your price range.
The job of your agent is to take care of the rest. That will include:
- Staging your home, or recommending a reputable stager that you can hire
- Hosting the open house
- Communicating with home buyers and buyers’ agents
- Receiving feedback during the open house and communicating that feedback to you
Your agent will also recommend that you leave while they show off your house to strangers. Why should you follow that advice? Because it makes good business sense for you.
- A home owner’s presence can make it awkward for the buyer. Buyers want to make assessments on their own, without worrying about how the seller might react or try to influence them.
- Buyers may have trouble picturing themselves living in the house when the owner is right there, say, serving lemonade in the kitchen.
- Sometimes sellers say too much. You might point out something that you think is a nice feature or amenity of your home, when it’s something that might turn off a buyer. You might blurt out something that could tip your negotiating hand, like how motivated you are to sell, or that you always wanted to update the retro kitchen, but just never got around to it.
The last things you want buyers to think after the open house is, “This place needs work,” or “This seller is desperate — I have the upper hand.” So, let your agent take the lead. This won’t be their first rodeo. They know the nuanced ways to show your home in its best light so that buyers will be dazzled. They also know how to strategically answer questions from buyers to help set you up for success later, during negotiation.
Check back on our blog every week for more real estate advice and local articles about living in Albuquerque. And make sure to follow us on Facebook for up to date real estate news for Albuquerque and surrounding areas.
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3 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms (2 full, 0 partial) / 1232 Square Feet
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