Holding an open house is good marketing strategy By Dian Hymer April 03, 2006

Some sellers question the value of having their home held open to the public. A common complaint is that open houses mostly attract neighbors who are looking for decorating ideas or who want to keep up on property values in the neighborhood. While it's true that open houses attract neighbors, this is not harmful to the marketing of your home. In fact it can help a lot. Neighbors often know people who are interested in moving into the neighborhood. A neighbor who casually walks through your home during an open house--with no particular agenda--could turn out to be the ultimate buyer. Recently, neighbors attended a public open house in the desirable Crocker Highlands area of Oakland, Calif. They weren't really looking for a new home. But, they were starting to feel cramped in their present home.

The neighbors scrutinized the house carefully and then called their real estate agent. They ended up buying the house. It's impossible to say if they would have bought it even if they hadn't attended the open house. But, their real estate agent was not aware that they wanted to move, so she might not have told them about the property. There's no way to know in what way a listing will sell before it goes on the market. A real estate agent might introduce the buyer to the property. Or, the buyer might find the listing on the Internet, in a newspaper ad, or at an open house....read more

Staging Tips from Accredited Staging Professional Master (ASP) Dawna Johnson

Donna says the idea behind staging is to allow rooms to show themselves. "If your home is vacant, it's soulless," Dawna warns. "Without staging, it will probably remain on the market for many months." She calls the kitchen the "heart of the home," and offers this practical advice for making that space sparkle: ...read more