You are considering putting your house on the market and thinking about the marketing strategy.  A very popular marketing strategy to get your new listing exposure to potential buyers is holding open houses.  Open houses are a common marketing strategy when a homeowner is trying to sell their home. Although open houses are a normality, that does not mean that they are for everyone. There are plenty of advantages and disadvantages to holding an open house.

Advantages 

One advantage of holding an open house is that it increases the visibility of your home to potential buyers. By holding an open house anyone who is driving by can see that it is open to be viewed. Since it is open to everyone, it increases the likelihood of your home being seen by a potential buyer. 

Homeowners can show off the advantages of his or her home over other listings on the market. Homeowners can highlight bonuses of their home for buyers to get a glance at what makes the home so special. Open houses are very convenient for potential buyers.  Buyers will start their home search online but serious buyers want to see the home, picture their furniture in the space and mentally plan the family barbecues in the backyard.  The best way for this to happen aside from a scheduled showing with a realtor, is an open house.

Disadvantages 

Despite all of these advantages, there are also disadvantages to holding an open house. The probability of a serious buyer buying your home from an open house is pretty slim.  Going through an open house is no guarantee that the home itself will have the amenities a buyer is looking for.  Additionally, open houses are an opportunity for nosey neighbors to come and see what your home looks like compared to their own.  It also exposes the home to security issues allowing people you don’t know to go through your home. In most cases, people coming to open houses are not represented by a Realtor.  Buyers working with a Realtor are ready to buy now.  

With all of these factors to consider when deciding whether or not you should hold an open house, it is important to consult with your real estate agent to get their expert opinion. When all is said and done it is important that every step of the home selling process is something that you are comfortable with.