Are Open Houses Worth The Effort?

Now that I’m selling my home, I’m seriously pondering the worth of the open house. (Thus, the pictured sign above currently sitting by the sidelines.) I’ve heard that they tend to only have a very small impact in terms of drawing in new buyers. And agents tend to use them to rope in new clients. I found a piece on Realtor.com that made a comment pretty much saying the same thing.

TIP: Unless open houses are particularly well-attended in your neighborhood, you might want to forgo these events altogether or just hold one open house the first or second weekend after your home is listed. Some surveys suggest that open houses are more beneficial for the agent than the home seller and that only a tiny percentage of homes are sold as the direct result of an open house.

The thought of blocking out a time frame where my still inhabited home is open to total strangers to appraise its virtues and flaws doesn’t seem appealing when the end result will probably be nothing more than dirty floors to clean and no more interested parties than there were before the open house. What do you all think? Anyone have any opinions on the open house?

So far, it’s early in the game for me still. I’ve had a handful of appointments – which is more than I really expected. And I anticipate my home will sell in the next few months, but I’m not holding my breath for an offer any time soon. Only time will tell what happens next.