As a Realtor, we have all heard the Urban Legend. Hold open houses and get buyers. Usually what you end up with is leftover cookies and business cards from agents without clients. Well, the urban legend came true for me.
My seller begged me to have an open house. I explained she would have better luck playing the lottery than selling her million dollar plus property in a guard gated community through an open house. She was relentless and I grudgingly obliged.
I ordered my food, got my signs, posted on all the sites and through email blasts. I brought a good book and cards to write to my clients as I prepared to wait for the Open House to end.
I got my requisite agents with listings in the community. Then, lo and behold, two couples walked in. A younger and an older couple. I wasn’t sure who was the agent. We toured the home. The younger couple was buying and the mom was moving in. Ah! So the older man was the agent! No, he was the father-in law.
The younger couple said they did not have an agent. They asked if I could show them some properties.What? Million dollar + price range, cash, motivated, no agent, and they wandered into my open house? Where are the cameras and Alan Funt?
While they didn’t put an offer on the house I held the open at, they did love the first house we saw and put in a serious offer. They laughed about being my easiest sale! Then that house was pulled off the market. We saw others, but they didn’t measure up. We ended up back in our original neighborhood. Another house came on the market. We made another offer, and after some fine negotiating, it was accepted! I am looking forward to closing with my new, wonderful clients!
Let’s keep those Urban Legends coming!