Let's get this out of the way. The open house is great at one thing: finding new clients for the agent who hosts it.
Most people who walk through on a Sunday are neighbors, window shoppers, and buyers who don't have an agent yet. For the host, each of them is a lead. Some will become that agent's next buyer or listing. The seller's house is the bait, and the seller doesn't get paid for it.
What the signs and balloons are for
Open house signs, flags, and balloons bring in foot traffic. Foot traffic is how a listing agent says "we had 100 people through." But 100 curious neighbors isn't the goal. Ten serious buyers is.
At Arrivva, we don't do signs or balloons. We put the home where real buyers are already looking: the MLS, Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, and the rest of the home-search sites.
Buyers have changed
Buyers already know the neighborhood. They know the schools, the commute, the walk score, and the good coffee shop before they ever see the house. What they want from a showing is to see the home itself, on their schedule, with the information they need to make an offer.
What actually sells a home
Everything disclosed up front. We pay for inspections before the home goes on the market. Buyers see the condition before they offer, so the price you agree on is the price you close on, not a starting point for a second negotiation in escrow.
Photos and a tour that do the showing. Professional photography, Matterport 3D tours, floor plans with dimensions, and virtual staging where it helps. Serious buyers can walk the home from their couch and show up already interested.
Clean, honest marketing. A clear description without fluff. Buyers trust what they can verify.
Showings for real buyers. Scheduled appointments for people who are ready, instead of a Sunday crowd.
If you're buying
Skip the Sunday tour of places you'd never buy. Get a fully underwritten preapproval, know your numbers, and book appointments for the homes that fit. And have your own buyer's broker before you walk into any open house, so the listing agent can't offer to represent you too. See Dual Agency: Why One Agent Can't Represent Both Sides.
The bottom line
Selling a home is a business transaction. Price it on real data, disclose everything, market it where buyers look, and show it to people who are ready. Then enjoy your Sunday.
See how selling with Arrivva works, for a flat $15,750.