Open House

inatdeepend

Seen a property that looks interesting and has an "Open house event" listed very soon.

Never been to one, but what is the usual setup? You just turn up and an estate agent is there to show you round? Or the vendor? Do you need to pre-register a timeslot?

Are they just used when desperate to try and shift the house? I notice it was listed in July last year and reduced in November.

Idiophreak

inatdeepend wrote: »

Seen a property that looks interesting and has an "Open house event" listed very soon.

Never been to one, but what is the usual setup? You just turn up and an estate agent is there to show you round? Or the vendor? Do you need to pre-register a timeslot?

Are they just used when desperate to try and shift the house? I notice it was listed in July last year and reduced in November.

Normally need to pre-register from what I'm aware - certainly worth speaking to the agent ahead of time, anyway.

Sometimes they're used as a way of "reigniting" an effort to sell, pushing to get the house off their books, sometimes it's just because they have a lot of interest and want everyone to go on the same day. Sounds more like the former in this case.

I wouldn't read it as "desperate"...more "wanting to get moving".

bris

Open house used to be common for people with tight schedules, we for instance used the Wednesday nights between 7 and 8 or Sunday 2 to 4.


People just turn up between those times for viewing, no surprises just go and view.

DRP

Around here (Bristol), you have to register with EA and are given a time slot. This is better than any old person turning up without being 'screened' by the EA, imo.

It's less "open house" and more "drum up interest and get them all in on the same day".

It worked as we had at least a dozen on the Saturday, a few on Sunday and a load on Monday night too.

KiKi

These are now common in Brighton. Get 20 people there, and you'll get more offers on the same day, so you're more likely to be able to push up the price by playing different buyers against each other. You always have to register in my experience, as they take details for insurance reasons.

In Brighton it's not uncommon for houses or flats in good areas to go on Rightmove on Monday, have an Open House on Saturday, and be under offer by the next Monday. I saw houses on Rightmove I never even got to view because they were gone so quickly!

rosie383

Agree with other posters. It depends on the area and can be for many reasons. I have been to a few which have had a constant stream of people through the door because the price was low usually. Been to others which have had no one else there. Some at houses languishing on the market for months, others as soon as they come up for sale.
If you want to see it just book to view. It may be the perfect house for you but you won't know until you view. It may be that they are only doing viewings at the open house. You could see it and offer on it and they could cancel the open house.

inatdeepend

Great, thanks for all your replies. I'll give the agents a ring.