"Can I Do A Open House For You"?

[PhxGuy]

Ok I just got back from a training class and the trainer said that a good way to start getting buyers is to offer to have a open house for other agents that are too busy or just don't want to do it. Has anyone ever allowed this and are there any protocols when contacting these agents and asking them if I can do this for them? There is a house that just got listed that I can actually see from my living room window and the agent is from my company as well. I would like to offer this to him but I want to make sure I come across and not stepping on his toes or whatever.

Any tips, thoughts,ideas?????

[Keith Lutz]

Your trainer is right.

Open houses are not really for the sellers (it appeases them!), it is for contacts! (make sure they sign in, at least get e-mail address and name!)

But to people (like my broker) who says open houses are a waste of time, I stronly disagree, I sold two homes (of mine) thru an open house. The first one, I was ready to close the door 5 minutes before quitting time, and luckily the people came in and bought. (morale of story, don't leave early!)

I was lucky enough (smart enough) to hook up with an older top producer in my company (back in NY, I'm in NC now), he had plenty of Open houses, that he WANTED me to do!

[jessiesc]

When in doubt ask your broker or office manager the appropriateness [word] of this. It's not always welcome at all offices.

Our office often trades open house listings. If anyone in the office has a listing we want to get lots of exposure on (good sale, good/high priced), we'll push open houses every weekend for a month with as many agents as want to do them.

Good luck.

[Jeff Casterline]

I would think as long as the seller is ok with it, then the listing agent would have no problem with it. The more exposure the better. Agents in my office are always trying to find other agents to hold open houses for them. Can't hurt to ask.

[RESteve]

This is a very cool story about one my old KW assoc.: She used to hold open houses for a local top producer. Held them many times and was very professional in her service, and did generate leads for her business. Fast forward about 5 or so years, she moved to Keller Williams, and she get's a phone call from that Top Producer from 5 years ago (they had lost touch since her broker move).

To make a long story short, the top producer invited her to join her team and sell her inventory and be her buyer consultant. She does million dollar properties (in a city where the avg. sales price is 150k) and sells them consistantly.

My associate friend is no longer with Keller Williams as this was an offer she couldn't pass up. In the end, this entire opportunity came from holding open houses for another agent. I found it to be rather interesting.

[Phoenix]

In our office, the Paradise Valley branch of Realty Executives, there is an actual list on the BB (of available listings where the L/A wants someone to sit it open) for all to see incase anyone is interested in holding an open house.

BTW, welcome to the wonderful, but sometimes hectic, world of real estate.

[kensmith]

I would love to have a few agents that wanted to it some open houses. We have more listings then we could ever hold open houses for and some sellers still think that is a good way to get their home sold.

[Eric Blackwell]

I'd agree. It is done all the time in our office...and is effective...

Eric

[Calculator]

I walked into an open house in my neighborhood today and the agent was sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop on the Internet using a Verizon broadband card. He said he started doing more open houses as he would just work from a client's kitchen if it was slow.

Why wouldn't an agent do this, especially all you web focused agents here at REW? I'm not an agent but it sounds like a good two for one deal to me

[RESteve]

I walked into an open house in my neighborhood today and the agent was sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop on the Internet using a Verizon broadband card. He said he started doing more open houses as he would just work from a client's kitchen if it was slow.

Why wouldn't an agent do this, especially all you web focused agents here at REW? I'm not an agent but it sounds like a good two for one deal to me

Hopefully they are not sitting on the internet for too long. But I actually did the same exact thing when traffic slowed. It gave me time to respond to emails, or begin to write thank you cards for visitors.