Columbia And The Sunday Open House

Sunday afternoon I found myself participating in one of the longtime traditions of a real estate practitioner, the Open House. Earlier that morning I put out a few directional signs pointing the way to a home with all its lights flaring, blinds open and ceiling fans twirling. On this Sunday, my efforts fell victim to a huge washout as the bottom fell out of the skies as I was driving to the neighborhood at 1:45.

On the surface, the photo above may seem a tinch creepy but it's really just a funny snapshot of me being stir crazy in an unfurnished house. I've done scores of Open Houses throughout the last five years and can type with authority that the houses with TV's, sofas and chairs are a lot more fun. An unfurnished home is usually less eventful and has most Realtors searching for a place to sit. Over the years, I may have even fallen asleep on a few floors while reading the newspaper.

In this market, almost everyone knows that a Sunday's Open House is pretty ineffective. In theory, the Open House is a perfect way to see a home without being intrusive to homeowners. However, the reality is that Columbia's downtown market is geographical pretty small and tight knit. If someone wants to see a house during the week it's no trouble for the Realtor or seller to open the door for buyers.

When on listing appointments almost all sellers ask if I do Open Houses. I tell them, "Sure!!" However I immediately continue with, "Columbia's Open Houses aren't like what you see on HGTV. Do not expect 20 or 30 souls to blow the hinges off the doors. Yes, I do them as much as I can but please recognize Columbia isn't an Open House town." Sellers usually concurr but still request their doors to be open once or twice.

Even though they aren't the greatest way to procure a buyer we continue to do them. Many times our sellers want action and an sometimes that means an Open House. If we're able, we certainly aim to perform and if holding Open Houses is part of this then so be it.

This is one of the great assets of working with the dominant intown office. We can almost always find someone to handle most Sunday's so keep them coming!