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Open houses have long been considered a must in the home-selling process—but in today’s market, some real estate pros are advising sellers to skip them.
The strategic reasons agents recommend forgoing them are varied, but most demonstrate how a home can sell quickly without a Sunday crowd walking through.
Why many serious buyers skip open houses
There’s a big difference between serious buyers and looky-loos, who love to browse but rarely make offers on homes for sale.
Showing homes by appointment instead “eliminates the Sunday stroller who just wants something to do after brunch and is really not looking to buy, or the neighbor who is nosy and just wants to check out, both of which are a waste of a seller’s broker time,” says agent Jane Katz of Coldwell Banker Warburg.
Many qualified buyers prefer private tours where they can ask detailed questions and take their time. “In an open house setting, they feel the heat of competition and it’s harder to concentrate or get their questions asked,” says Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO of Echo Fine Properties in Miami.
Plus, most open houses happen on weekends, which doesn’t always align with buyer schedules, according to Stacy Miller, real estate agent for the Miller Team at Re/Max Fine Properties in Phoenix. “A lot of buyers may have busy sports schedules, family, commitments, or work,” she says.
In addition, online browsing has changed the game. “Most serious buyers today aren’t driving from open house to open house; they’re looking at home after home online first,” says Cari McGee, a real estate agent in Kennewick, WA.
With virtual tours, HD photography, and detailed floor plans, buyers often narrow down their favorites long before setting foot on a property.
Why agents sometimes skip open houses
Agents have many reasons for opting out of open houses these days. Some say that skipping an open house has minimal effect on offers.
“In the New Orleans market, open houses have not been well attended outside of COVID times,” explains real estate agent Leslie Heindel of Be New Orleans agency. Most of the time, she says “it’s one nosy neighbor or no one at all”—so skipping an open house has little to no impact on the offers you receive.
Weather can also be a factor. “In Phoenix, realtors forgo open houses due to the heat more than anything,” says Miller. “What I highly recommend to my clients currently is to skip the open houses on the weekends. With temperatures in Phoenix regularly from 110 to 115 degrees, a good majority of Phoenicians are heading north for cooler temperatures on Saturdays and Sundays. A lot of families are also vacationing right now, so open houses on the weekends haven’t had the best turnout consistently.”
Others feel that open houses are a waste of time. “When you sit there with no one coming by, you can waste hours of your weekend on open houses that aren’t attended,” says Heindel.
Prep fatigue is another issue. “It can be especially draining if you’re doing open houses three or more times a week, and if it’s a long drive,” says real estate agent Corinne Smith of Keller Williams of Bellevue.
Security risks are also a big concern. “Some sellers don’t want strangers walking through their home without an appointment,” says McGee. A real estate agent can have security concerns of their own. “There is a safety element of being in a house all by yourself if you know that no one really comes to open houses anymore,” explains Heindel.
Skipping an open house doesn’t mean your home won’t sell fast
Many homes today go under contract without ever hosting an open house—and often, they sell faster and for more money.
“MLS exposure and online marketing are doing a big percentage of the heavy lifting,” says Lichtenstein.
Private showings “offer better engagement and feedback, which can lead to quicker, cleaner offers,” says Heindel.
However, the best sales strategy is customized, according to Cara Ameer, real estate broker at Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty in Florida.
Some properties may benefit from an open house, but others do better with a more exclusive, appointment-only approach. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to a property,” says Ameer.