If you are thinking of buying a property soon, open houses can be your thing. Although you might want to spend your weekends doing better things, attending an open house is a great way to kill the extra competition, and look at properties beyond the listings.
How to Have a Successful Open House
Following some of the tips mentioned below, you can make your open house experience really memorable and enjoyable.
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Don’t Start Shooting Questions Until You Greet Them.
The seller’s estate agent is not the enemy; he is just trying to do his job. So, don’t be afraid to form an eye contact. The seller is also making efforts to open up their houses for you. Both of them have given up their precious time for a cause. Establish a rapport with them.
Greeting them and making strong eye contact can leave an unforgetful impression on the selling party. This could help crack a good deal.
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Don’t Hesitate To Ask Questions.
Don’t be afraid to engage with the seller or his estate agent. The agent wants to sell you the property; of course, he will give his best doing the same. But, he knows a lot about this property and real estate in general, so his insight might be important to your decision-making process.
Ask relevant questions. What is the offer like? Is the house located in a safe neighbourhood ? How far is the hospital, gas station, and the shopping centre? How good are the schools in the area? Why is the seller selling the house? These are all good questions that should help you understand the deal better.
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Don’t Do What You Don’t Want To.
If the seller’s agent asks you to sign in a guest register, consider whether you want them to contact you again or not. Be honest about it. Sure, you will want to form an alias; be in touch with an expert of Dartmouth real estate. Honesty is always the best policy.
If you don’t want the agent or any of their partners texting, emailing you about houses on sale for the rest of your life, simply ask that you don’t want to be contacted. They will surely appreciate the same.
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End The War
Don’t waste the agent’s time. Set aside all the cold feelings that you have for the agent and try to engage. But, even when you are doing so, be truthful. Start a conversation with the agent to get useful insights about the properties, but do not give him false hopes. Let him know if you already have a real estate agent. It should be enough for the agent to understand your interest.
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Don’t Be Rude
If you don’t have anything nice to say about the property, keep your mouth shut. Don’t say anything at all. You might feel that the house is overly priced for its condition, but nobody wants to hear anything about that. If you are disappointed that the property didn’t meet your expectations, save the conversation for later.
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Don’t Be A Nosey Parker
If the seller is not present during the event, don’t take it as an opportunity to be extra inquisitive. Sure, you are too curious to explore what the property has to offer, but that does not mean you have access to peek inside their wardrobe, pantry, drawers, and fridge.
Your desire to make sure if there is enough storage space is understandable, but you shouldn’t be at a place you are not supposed to be. If you see a closed door, take permission before entering.
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End With Big Guns
If you want to buy a house as soon as possible, relying solely on these weekend opportunities won’t help you much. Although you will have different opportunities every week, if you start with the base, you will have many options to explore. By pairing up with a good real estate agent, you will have a definite course of action, helping you start on the right foot. Additionally, attending open houses will be a lot more fun when you have an expert by your side.
