By Cari Gililland, Guest Writer
According to the National Association of Realtors, only 2 percent of homes are sold during an open house.
Even with this low percentage, an open house is a common marketing activity for many Realtors and something that home sellers have come to expect as part of the process.
It is important for home sellers to remember that an open house is basically inviting anyone and everyone, qualified or not, to come into your home, look in your cabinets and hang out at your house for a bit.
While I don’t necessarily think that sellers should be overly paranoid about this, I do think it is smart to take a few simple precautions to protect themselves:
• Work with a reputable Realtor. Insist your Realtor has a partner with them at all open houses. With only one agent there it is very easy for a guest at an open house to distract the agent. This opens up a great opportunity for a partner in crime to swoop in and find the valuables.
• Insist your Realtor use a sign-in sheet. It’s not a bad idea to ask for ID before allowing people to enter to verify they are who they say they are.
• Consider security cameras for an extra layer of protection.
• Lock up guns, medicine, jewelry and smaller valuables that might be easy for someone to put in their purse or pocket.
• Put away or hide any personal papers, documents, id’s, passports, bills or anything with personal information.
• Hide or lock away any small electronics. Laptops, Ipads, small devices.
• Have passcodes or screen locks on all of your computers.
• Limit the pictures of small children and family members. De-personalize your home as much as possible.
• Hide extra keys and garage remotes.
• After each open house make sure your Realtor checks all the windows and doors very carefully. You should do the same when you get home.
I hope these tips help you have a safe and productive open house.
Here is your Chandler real estate update. Simple data that even the least analytic person can appreciate. This information comes directly from Arizona Regional Multiple Listing System. Information based on sales between 6/1/18- 8/22/18, single-family homes only.
