For years, open houses have been a staple in the Realtor's marketing plan. Seller's love open houses because it is activity that they can visibly see. Buyer's like them because they can see a house with little expectations from a seller or Realtor. Neighbors and "Lookie-lous", or people just out passing time on a Sunday afternoon, are the people that take advantage of open houses most.
With the price of gas and the vast resources available on-line to an informed buyer, open houses are becoming a thing of the past as a means to sell a house. I like open houses, because it gives me a chance to meet new people, but statistics show that less than 3% of homes sell from an open house. That is a lot of time and gas for buyers to spend for only a 3% success rate!
Is there a better way to find a house? Less than 10% of people use print media as their source for finding their next home. An increasing amount of people are turning to the internet for their primary exposure to the housing market. My website provides a great new listing notifier that you can sign up for. Or, if you'd like to e-mail me your name and search criteria, I can set up a custom mls gateway that will show you every home listed that fits your criteria by any Realtor...the same information I see!
Finding the house you want is of course just the beginning. You need someone working for your benefit in the transaction. I can help you find that house, but more importantly, I will protect your interest from start to close. Let me know if I can help!