She took the words "Open House" way too literally!

An essential component of the moving process is having your realtor hold an open house that will hopefully attract the perfect buyer. In addition to private showings, an open house offers the opportunity to bring in the unrepresented internet buyer who sees the open house online and is interested in learning more. The open house signs also capture additional potential buyers. If the stars align perfectly, the turnout can be excellent. Remember, the one and only reason that we hold an open house is to sell your home!

Just like a chocolate chip cookie isn’t complete without the chips, an open house wouldn’t be complete without the following: the nosy neighbor who’s always wanted to see the inside of your house and the dreamers that aren’t seriously looking for a home but think attending open houses are a fun way to spend the day. As realtors we expect them all to show up and we love it! You NEVER know… who knows….the person that will fall in love with your home and make an offer. Holding an open house is important for all of these reasons.

However, opening your home to complete strangers can be stressful and a recent news story adds fuel to the fire. The woman pictured above attended an open house and helped herself to something in the house that she liked. She took the definition of open house way too literally! While we’d all like to believe that something like this would never happen – sadly, it does. Here are some tips that will help eliminate all unnecessary temptations during your next open house!

Make sure that you work with a Realtor that you can trust. Your Realtor will be your partner throughout the entire sales process.
Keep track of everyone that attends the open house.
Avoid keeping anything out in the open that doesn’t have to be there! Jewelry, keys, money, and prescription drugs are the main things that you should keep out of sight. Consider investing in an inexpensive lock box if you don’t already own one.
If you have security cameras in the house – keep them on! This is exactly how the woman on TV was caught.

Being proactive and protecting your home during an open house can go a long way in making it a huge success!

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