When I began selling real estate in 1989, Sunday open houses were generally held from 1 PM – 5 PM. My open houses were from 1-5 like everyone else, but it was a very long time and there were always large gaps of time when no one was there, sometimes as long as an hour. Then a local Realtor started holding homes open for only ½ an hour; each Realtor differs in their point of view, but I prefer an open house of two hours. I think two hours is adequate. The plus side is that the (well-advertised) open house has a constant stream of traffic.
When opening a home to anyone off the street there are security issues. Often in larger homes, two or more Realtors should be present. When there is a steady flow of people it is hard to steal– yes steal. It’s not difficult for a team to enter the home while one distracts the real estate agent and the other empties the medicine cabinet or worse. When there is a steady stream of activity and a full house, it is difficult for someone to steal. There are too many eyes watching. The other issue is Realtor security, Realtors have been murdered during open houses and I feel safer with a steady stream of people in and out of the home.
Most homes listed for sale can be seen at any reasonable time. An interested buyer who can’t make the open house time span, can simply telephone any Realtor or the number on the sign in order to schedule an appointment. The point of the open house is to make the home available for buyers who are actively looking to purchase a home in the immediate future/today. Because that’s when the seller wants to sell. Of course open houses are an excellent opportunity for home buyers to become acquainted with the market. When that is their desire, I welcome their exploration during the two hour time span. I feel safer with the traffic.
With the advent of the Internet, gone are the days when motivated home buyers drove around aimlessly looking for open house signs. Motivated buyers are scouring the Internet for new listings, then either visiting the open house or scheduling a showing. The 2 PM – 4 PM Sunday open house, allows me the time to go to church. I then have time to return phone calls, answer emails, etc. In addition to our travel time Realtors also place and remove signs. Two hour open houses are best for me and my clients.
