Published on June 25th, 2022

Real estate open houses are back after COVID-19 shut them for more than a year in 2020 and 2021. 

The open houses — usually held on weekends — allow homebuyers to check out a handful of houses in quick succession without having to coordinate schedules and make appointments with real estate agents. This story is a subscriber exclusive It’s a great way to narrow your focus early in the house hunt, learning more about neighborhoods, identifying must-have amenities, and clarifying how much house you’ll be able to afford.

But sellers can use these open houses to learn more about you, as well. If you do find your dream home during an open house, some simple tips can help clinch the deal later, say real estate agents. 

Show Your Love

“Show enthusiasm for the house and express what you like about it,” advises real estate agent Michelle King of Realty ONE Group in Sacramento. King said that even if the home sellers are not present at the open house, their agent will be sure to pass along your kind words to them. Although selling a home is a financial transaction, King said, it can be much more than that. The sellers will often have an emotional attachment to their house, she said. They may be looking for a buyer who will love the house as much as they did. This can become a particularly important factor, King said, if the seller is weighing competing and equal offers. 

Look Carefully

Open houses can offer clues as to how a house was maintained, said real estate agent Zak Hentzy. He said a prospective home buyer should look carefully during the open house.. “In my humble opinion, I believe buyers should look to see if a property is meticulously maintained,” said Hentzy of Frey and Associates in Lincoln. “If it is, it means to me that the home was well cared for and helps to build trust that the home has been continuously preserved.” Hentzy also believes in looking at the little things like baseboards and door handles to see their condition; this can be an indication of how well the home has been maintained. And ask questions about home features that may not be obvious, like whether the lighting is energy efficient.

But Not To Carefully

King recommends that buyers refrain from conducting on-the-spot home inspections that can rub sellers the wrong way. She recalled one open house in which a buyer wanted to get a ladder out of his truck so he could start doing an inspection. Other buyers may be less intrusive, but King said an open house is not the time to inspect all nooks and crannies, looking for house deficits. Feel free to ask all the questions you want, such as when the roof was replaced and how old the HVAC system is.

But there’s time later in the process, King advised, to find out a home’s hidden warts. Save the deep digging for the home inspector after you’re under contract. If homebuyers don’t like the findings, they can ask for repairs, negotiate a lower price or back out of the deal, she said. 

Be Ready To Pounce

Another way to handle an open house is to beat it to the punch. Real estate agent Bahman Ghashgael calls it the “first-move advantage.” “If you are very interested in a house, you don”t have to wait for the open house,” said Ghashghaei, of Capital West Reality in West Sacramento. If a house goes on the market and it looks like it might be the one, ask your agent to schedule a viewing right away. You may get a competitive advantage if you see a home and make a strong offer before the first open house is even held.

Original Article: How to make the most of all those open houses