Finding a new home is an exciting journey with many steps along the way. The process of getting into a home is unique to every homebuyer, but there are some common experiences many seem to encounter often, including open houses.
What is an Open House?
An open house is an event for potential homebuyers to tour a home on the market. Typically hosted by the seller’s listing agent, open houses take place on weekends during a set range of hours – often midday.
Open houses are beneficial because they allow homebuyers to see their place of interest in real-life and notice features of a home that photos can’t do justice. This is a space you would be physically living in, so tangibly experiencing it is an extremely helpful way to support any necessary decision making.
They also help homebuyers scope out the competition and inform the urgency required for submitting an offer. Based on their visit, homebuyers may even redefine their non-negotiable home features such as the amount of bedrooms or the size of a backyard.
Finding Open Houses
The first step of attending open houses is finding which homes you’d like to check out! Keep in mind, it is for your best interest to attend open houses that fit your criteria and budget. At the Real Estate One Family of Companies, we make this super simple by offering these handy tools.
First To Know — With the First to Know listing alerts system, you don’t have to worry about missing a newly posted listing or upcoming open house. The best part is there’s no work in it for you once you set up your custom search. You’ll be alerted via email or text of any new listings, price changes, sales, current list prices, and open houses.
Website – When you visit RealEstateOne.com/OpenHouses, you can easily discover all upcoming open houses in your region. You can even refine your search to your specific preferences.
Attending Open Houses
It is wise to go to open houses with a “game plan” of sorts. Here are our top tips for getting the most out of your open house experiences:
- Ask specific questions (i.e. What are the HOA restrictions?)
- Have an open mind
- Check for damage and repairs and make note of them
- Inquire if you can take photos/videos
- Keep your agent updated on any takeaways from your visit
Including open houses in your home buying strategy is an effective (and often fun!) means to get the home of your dreams.
Have questions about finding/attending an open house? Don’t hesitate to call us at 248-304-6700 for assistance with any listed property no matter who it is listed by. We are available Monday – Friday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.
