Teresa Boardman shared coffee with me this morning.
No, she didn't fly down from St Paul to St Petersburg.
I was up early and reading the St. Petersburg Times. When I opened the Home section there was an article on Open Houses titled "Walk right in" that I started reading.
Halfway through the article I had to smile because here was Teresa! The article said,
"Open houses were invented during a time before the Internet, when consumers had to rely on Realtors, yard signs and newspaper ads," says Teresa Boardman, an agent in St. Paul, Minn., and founder of www.stpaulrealestateblog.com. "Those days are gone, but the 'opens' live on. If buyers only toured homes that are open, they would be greatly limiting their opportunities," she wrote recently on the real estate website inman.com "There are people who do attend open houses who are not buying. It is a hobby, something to do on a Sunday afternoon."
I had to smile, and toast Teresa with my coffee! Not only had she been noticed by and quoted in my local paper, but we shared the same opinion on Open Houses. They used to be a successful tool for me, but times changed, and so have the ways buyers want to shop for real estate. They want to look online, at photos, tours descriptions, when THEY want to look - and if a home passes their qualifying criteria and appeals to them, then they may want to see it - but they'll want to see it when it'f convenient for them, not in the middle of a treasured weekend afternoon just because that when agents traditionally sit and wait for buyers.
This makes perfect sense, from at least the standpoint of sitting on weekends and meeting the neighbors. On the other hand, I can't tell you the number of times I have been chosen to list because I still promote the Open House. In my view, most of the Open Houses sooth the needs of the sellers that don't spend nearly as much time on the internet as Buyers and don't yet believe. Open Houses will eventually disappear I expect but for now it is a great way to meet the neighbors, who will one day sell and may still see that criteria as important.
But I am not in a dream world, I know that sooner or later, expect sooner, we will likely curtail the practice.
Congratulations Teresa for being featured! I am thankful open houses are not popular here in Central Missouri.
Even with the internet, here in Hawaii buyers still like to go to open houses. I will have 4 of them tomorrow. If have a couple of agents helping me and I am doing an early and a later one myself. A fair percentage of my listings are actually sold through open houses.
Thanks Sharon. I wrote an article about open houses for Inman news and it turned out to be a bit controversial. Some of the readers really hated the post but you know me I write what I think. Agnets say some of the same things about blogging as I say about open houses. They don't think it works. It doesn't work for some, just like opens don't work all that well for me.
I enjoyed having coffee with you. :)
Open house is still popular here with sellers. Hard to get away from them in the upper price ranges. We have a lot of buyers here that just will not work with an agent and insist on "finding their own home". They tour opens in neighborhoods where they want to buy.
Yep. Teresa is becoming a household word. We can all say "I knew her when". But, she writes good stuff. I see her on Inman.
William - I've found even neighbors are less likely to visit Open Houses.
Debbie - I guess it does vary by part of the country.
Randy - It's all about tracking the market and what works. If they still work in Hawaii, by all means, do them.
Teresa - it's so important to track what works and what doesn't. That's what matters in the local market.
Lenn - yes, we knew her when. I was so glad to meet Teresa in San Francisco last year. Interesting that in your area buyers don't want to work with an agent.
I am finding more and more agents are sending their clients to view homes during an open house...people just aren't walking in from directional signs anymore. Whatever it takes to sell a house these days!!!
Sharon, nice ThemThem to Teresa, to cool. That's quite some ting to be featured clear down in beautiful Florida.
Perri - whatever works in your area, do it.
Duane - yes, it was a surprise when I saw it.