Pennsylvania Real Estate News, Views and Rants

Most people don’t really think about it but there is a certain etiquette that should be maintained when attending an Open House.

Open Houses have been a custom of Realtors for many, many years and they often can lead to an eventual closing deal.

Some Realtor’s love doing open houses while others aren’t so keen on it; but either way it’s probably going to be a part of your life at some point if you’re looking at homes to buy. As a buyer there are some things you should remember about attending an Open House:

• You don’t need to knock or ring the bell unless there’s a sign saying so; just walk in. If the agent doesn’t greet you right away, announce yourself by softly yelling out a little “Hello?” as you enter. In some cases it could be that the agent is with another visitor or may even be using the “private facilities” at the moment and is indisposed of.
• If weather is bad, remove your wet & dirty footwear before going through the house – some Realtors even offer “footies” to wear while touring the house that they hand out in the case of bad weather. In some cases the main passages will have plastic down on the rug and tell you that you don’t have to remove your shoes if you remain on the path of the plastic. If it’s bad weather out you may even want to just bring a pair of slippers along with you yourself.
• If there’s a sign in sheet at least sign in your name. If you don’t feel comfortable putting everything down, such as your phone number then tell the agent that you don’t really want to be pursued and if you’re interested you’ll contact them so you’re just going to leave your name and address. The sheet is there for many purposes, one of which is to show the owners how many people may have attended the showing.
• If you have a Buyer’s Agent you are working with tell the agent who’s showing the house immediately so they don’t waste time pursuing your further. Because you are under contract to buy through your agent you can’t deal direct with the showing agent. If you’re truly interested in the home you toured let your Buyer’s Agent know immediately so you can put in a bid, etc. and work with them to purchase the home.
• If you don’t have a Buyer’s Agent you may think about using the agent showing the house. First ask if she is the listing agent or just showing the house for the listing agent. If you choose to use the listing agent to buy this particular house you will find yourself in what they call a dual agency and you do not want this. In a dual agency there is no possible way or the buyer to reach the lowest possible price and there is no way possible for the seller to obtain their highest possible price.
• Don’t open drawers of dressers and private areas. Opening closets and storage areas, such as a pantry, is acceptable but you truly do have to respect the privacy of the homeowner to some degree and ask yourself if you’d like some stranger looking at your stuff in a particular area. It’s really common sense etiquette but you would be surprised how many people overstep their boundaries.
• If you’re not really intending to buy this house (say perhaps it’s in a neighborhood that you know you cannot afford to live in but you’re dying to see the house) it’s only fair to tell the agent as soon as you walk in that you really have no intentions of buying but you decided to stop in and take a look. It gives the agent a feel for the fact of whether they should pursue you further or not. Some agents may still call you once after the visit just to be sure but for the most part they will mark their books and not bother you with a call.
• If you’re a neighbor of the Open House and are just stopping in to “be nosey” that’s fine. You may think agents don’t want nosey neighbors stopping in but the exact opposite is true. You are a potential advertisement for the home, especially since you know the neighborhood. If you have friends or family or acquaintances that are looking for a home you might end up telling them about this really cute place down the street.
• If you’re just starting to look for a home to buy, going to open houses is a great way to interact with different agents. It’s almost like being able to interview an agent for a position you have open for a Buyer’s Agent. There’s nothing wrong with this and many Buyer’s Agents have been found this way. You may find that you just click with the showing agent and end up utilizing them.