RE/MAX Classic: New System Pinpoints Why Having a Public Open House to Sell a Home is Not a Good Idea
St. Davids, PA, December 15, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Recent studies show that when selling a home, whether you’re a realtor or an individual trying to sell your home on the open market, having an open house is the worse way to get it sold. According to a national study conducted by NDP Group, an industry leader in consumer trends and market research, less than 1 percent of homes sell from a public open house.
“The truth is that open houses don’t sell properties,” said Brett Furman, a realtor and creator of The Furman Home Selling Service, where clients benefit from the use of his complimentary concierge system, which provides homeowners with access to over 1,000 vendors including electricians, painters, handymen and movers.
Furman explained that an open house is just an easy way to make a client think that their agent is “doing something.” “The fact is that if your agent is doing the right things, you won’t need an open house,” Furman stressed. “Proper pricing, preparation of the home and skilled marketing are the keys to getting your home sold. These may sound like simple items, but getting them right requires an agent to be honest and forthright about what you, the homeowner, need to do to properly position your property.”
Furman, who stopped holding open houses seven years ago, noted that many agents are afraid to tell their clients what they need to hear, and choose instead to offer feel-good services like open houses to placate a client who would be better served by an honest conversation about what really works in the real estate market.
The notion of not holding open houses could prove to have perfect timing. “While they were once a mainstay of real estate sales, the open house is no longer a viable avenue for today's agents,” Furman stressed.
Industry experts also agree that holding an open house is not a good idea because it also opens up a degree of safety issues. One of those experts is Bill Gassett, a nationally recognized leader in real estate. “An open house is an open invitation for a potential robber to case your place prior to coming back to get what they want,” Gassett said on his blog. “There are also times where multiple parties could be in your home at the same time. It is next to impossible for a realtor to have their eyes on everyone at all times. There could be a few parties on the first floor and someone else on the second floor. Not good.”
Jason Howell, 36, of Houston, who has been trying to sell his home for eight months, said open houses in his experience, hasn’t worked out too well. “I never really thought about the safety issues, but the fact that my home hasn’t sold despite the fact that it’s a lot less than what I paid for it, does provide validity to the statistics of having an open house is not a good idea.”
“Another issue with open houses is that they are frequented by nosy neighbors that only want decorating ideas or to learn about the inside of their neighbors’ home,” Furman said. “With more work-at-home and flexibility in jobs, house seekers are more readily available to schedule something immediately rather than waiting until a next open house. Potential buyers can make demands to "see it now," especially in the current economic climate.”
Furman, author of “Everything You Need to Know About Selling Your Home,” said he has invested in the most advanced visual tour software that is used to create videos of the home and uploads it to various websites and posts it on YouTube, and other social media sites.
The way that Furman's system works is through a unique statistical model he creates for each home seller to determine the best month to sell a home. The system was created after testing the model for the past five years. “It’s the only system that I know that can accurately pinpoint the best time of the year to sell a home,” said Furman. “I have been able to get my clients the best terms and conditions. It’s gratifying to help my original clients grandkids that now want to sell or buy a home.”
For more information on The Furman Home Selling Service or to get a free copy of Furman’s manual, “Everything You Need to Know About Selling Your Home,” visit: www.homesellerhandbook.com
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“The truth is that open houses don’t sell properties,” said Brett Furman, a realtor and creator of The Furman Home Selling Service, where clients benefit from the use of his complimentary concierge system, which provides homeowners with access to over 1,000 vendors including electricians, painters, handymen and movers.
Furman explained that an open house is just an easy way to make a client think that their agent is “doing something.” “The fact is that if your agent is doing the right things, you won’t need an open house,” Furman stressed. “Proper pricing, preparation of the home and skilled marketing are the keys to getting your home sold. These may sound like simple items, but getting them right requires an agent to be honest and forthright about what you, the homeowner, need to do to properly position your property.”
Furman, who stopped holding open houses seven years ago, noted that many agents are afraid to tell their clients what they need to hear, and choose instead to offer feel-good services like open houses to placate a client who would be better served by an honest conversation about what really works in the real estate market.
The notion of not holding open houses could prove to have perfect timing. “While they were once a mainstay of real estate sales, the open house is no longer a viable avenue for today's agents,” Furman stressed.
Industry experts also agree that holding an open house is not a good idea because it also opens up a degree of safety issues. One of those experts is Bill Gassett, a nationally recognized leader in real estate. “An open house is an open invitation for a potential robber to case your place prior to coming back to get what they want,” Gassett said on his blog. “There are also times where multiple parties could be in your home at the same time. It is next to impossible for a realtor to have their eyes on everyone at all times. There could be a few parties on the first floor and someone else on the second floor. Not good.”
Jason Howell, 36, of Houston, who has been trying to sell his home for eight months, said open houses in his experience, hasn’t worked out too well. “I never really thought about the safety issues, but the fact that my home hasn’t sold despite the fact that it’s a lot less than what I paid for it, does provide validity to the statistics of having an open house is not a good idea.”
“Another issue with open houses is that they are frequented by nosy neighbors that only want decorating ideas or to learn about the inside of their neighbors’ home,” Furman said. “With more work-at-home and flexibility in jobs, house seekers are more readily available to schedule something immediately rather than waiting until a next open house. Potential buyers can make demands to "see it now," especially in the current economic climate.”
Furman, author of “Everything You Need to Know About Selling Your Home,” said he has invested in the most advanced visual tour software that is used to create videos of the home and uploads it to various websites and posts it on YouTube, and other social media sites.
The way that Furman's system works is through a unique statistical model he creates for each home seller to determine the best month to sell a home. The system was created after testing the model for the past five years. “It’s the only system that I know that can accurately pinpoint the best time of the year to sell a home,” said Furman. “I have been able to get my clients the best terms and conditions. It’s gratifying to help my original clients grandkids that now want to sell or buy a home.”
For more information on The Furman Home Selling Service or to get a free copy of Furman’s manual, “Everything You Need to Know About Selling Your Home,” visit: www.homesellerhandbook.com
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Contact
RE/MAX Classic
Brett Furman
610-687-6060
brettfurman.com
Brett Furman
610-687-6060
brettfurman.com
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