It wasn’t too long ago that if you were doing a research project, you had to head to the local public library, pour through stacks of books, write the report and then finally print it out to hand to your teacher or professor the day it was due.
Technology allows you to research any subject through the Internet, write the report and then email it to a teacher or professor with out even ever having to step foot in a classroom.
The Internet and technology has had the same impact on the home buying (and selling) experience.
A home buyer no longer has to comb through Multiple Listing Service books at their Realtor®’s office or drive around neighborhoods looking for homes to buy. All that can be done by a Realtor®, sitting at his desk, emailing a buyer a customized report of homes for sale in their price range that meets their specifications.
Oh, they will still see open houses being advertised when driving to a showing the Realtor® has arranged. But, they may not be the most efficient way to buy, or sell, a home anymore.
They are just not the method most people use in the purchase of a house anymore. Did you know that 92 percent of the home buyers used the Internet in some capacity in their home search process last year? And nearly half of the buyers today use their phones, or some other mobile device, in their home search.
Through virtual tours and photo galleries, buyers can view properties on the schedule they set and from wherever they choose to do so. If a potential buyer gets an alert from his or her Realtor® that a new home has come on the market that fits his or her needs, that individual can take a quick look and easily decide if this house is one he or she wants to see in person.
When you are selling your home, you want a Realtor® to bring serious prospects through the door to look at your home. Most potential buyers working with a Realtor® have already been pre-qualified for a home loan and know what they can, and cannot, afford.
But, if you’re banking on an open house to sell your property, you have no idea whether the person coming into your home is just out looking for decorating ideas, prospecting homes in his or her neighborhood (aka being that nosy neighbor) or just looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon. This is why we suggest that you shouldn't ask a Realtor® to host an open house of your home.
When selling a home you want a tech-savvy Realtor® and one who knows how to use social media the right way. This assures that they are actively engaging with consumers, because more eyeballs on their website mean more people looking at a home you are trying to sell.
Your Realtor® should also be active on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other sites. Many people turn to those social media outlets for information and insight, and you don’t want to miss out on potential buyers. When you work with someone who has all of these technological tools to help customers buy and sell houses, there is no need for an open house to get the job done. The most important tool will be right at the potential buyer's fingertips.
Open houses, while a traditional way of showcasing your house, may not be the most practical way anymore.
