Field Guide to Open Houses
(Updated May 2009)
NAR's 2008 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers indicates that 48% of all buyers used open houses as a source in their home search process. This figure suggests the value of open houses even in the Craig's List/MySpace/Twitter era. REALTORS® must also be vigilant about safety at open houses. The articles, links and statistics in this Field Guide will help REALTORS® increase their open house success as well as provide tips on personal safety. (D. Foligno, Project Specialist)
Work with another person
Request local police assistance
Ensure your cell phone is fully charged and accessible
Explore all escape routes in the home
Have all visitors sign in upon arrival
Always walk behind the prospect
Call your office every hour
Ask neighbors to be watchful
Source: Safety at Open Houses, (NAR's 2007 Safety Week).
Open House Tips
Open Houses: 6 Ways to Capture Clients on the Spot, (REALTOR® Magazine, Apr. 2009).
Open Houses Are Still Worth It, Practitioners Say, (REALTOR® Magazine,Apr. 13, 2009).
Hot Open House Tips for the Summertime, (Realty Times, Aug. 19, 2008).
7 cheap and easy steps to a better open house, (U.S. News & World Report, Aug. 21, 2008).
Opening doors with open houses, (Columbus Board of REALTORS®, Apr. 2007).
Is an open house a waste of time?, (MSN Real Estate, 2006).
Humorous anecdotes: open houses, (REALTOR® Magazine Online, 2006).
Draw More Buyers to Your Open Houses, (REALTOR® Magazine, Feb. 5, 2009).
Open houses: Are they worth it?, (REALTOR® Magazine YPN Lounge, July 28, 2008).
The modern-day open house, (REALTOR® Magazine, Apr. 1, 2008).
Spruce up an open house, (REALTOR® Magazine Online, Sept. 2006).
Mm, mm good open house, (REALTOR® Magazine, June 2006).
7 steps to preparing for an open house, (REALTOR® Magazine).
The real job of REALTOR® Safety, (Houston Association of REALTORS®, Oct. 2006).
Use caution when hosting an open house, (Houston Association of REALTORS®, Sept. 2006).
Better safe than sorry, (Dayton Business Journal, Jan. 2005).
Personal safety guide, (Washington Real Estate Safety Council).
eBooks & Other Resources
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
The resources below are available for loan through Information Central. Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Central at 800.874.6500 for assistance.
The best sale is a safe sale, (Crawford Productions). VT329
Personal safety for real estate professionals, (Chicago, IL: National Association of REALTORS®, 1992). VT134
Field Guides & More
These Field Guides and other resources in the Virtual Library may also be of interest:
Field Guide to REALTOR® Safety
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The inclusion of links on this Field Guide does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked to this Field Guide complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.
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