Why You Should Think Twice Before Going To An Open House On A Weekday
Even with the advancement of technology, open houses are a classic tactic for real estate agents to showcase listed homes to buyers within a particular community. Having undergone many structural changes following the arrival of the pandemic, agents still rely upon these events to garner public attention to their properties. Before the pandemic, the internet was a useful tool to aid potential buyers in their home searches. According to a 2019 report from the National Association of Realtors, nearly half of the buyers in 2018 searched for properties online before consulting an agent, most of whom belonged to the millennial generation. Now, agents use mobile devices to promote and host open houses, allowing buyers to view new listings through interactive virtual tours and video walkthroughs.
Open houses allow listed homes to receive a considerable amount of exposure while reducing hassle for buyers, eliminating the need to make an appointment to see a home or be accompanied by a real estate agent. It's common for agents to host open houses on weekends since clients are typically too busy during the work week to make time for a showing. However, weekday open houses aren't completely out of the ordinary, but potential buyers should carefully consider purchasing a home they may tour on a weekday. Here are reasons you should be skeptical about open houses held Mondays through Fridays.
Rowdy neighborhood
According to Curb Hero, real estate agents should schedule open houses with their ideal clientele in mind. In other words, agents should select a date and time that complements their clients' work schedules and day-to-day routines. As a result, realtors commonly choose weekends, particularly Sunday afternoons, to host open houses, per a survey conducted by HomeLight. Though, the neighborhood's activity may differ widely during the work week versus on any given weekend.
A typical single-family neighborhood may be more lively on the weekend, given that children are out of school and parents are usually off work. An agent may opt to host an open house on a weekday rather than a weekend to make a neighborhood appear more peaceful than it is. To avoid being misled about a neighborhood's noise levels, Granville Homes recommends walking and driving through the area at different times and days of the week to perceive the environment as if you were to live there.
Pesky neighbors
Just as clients are more inclined to have time to spare on the weekends, so are the listed property's neighbors. It's well-known that open houses attract all sorts of local characters, including people not looking to purchase a home. Nosy neighbors are a common sight at open houses, per Redfin, and can pose a nuisance to agents trying to sell the home. While these neighbors' intentions may be harmless, they may also negatively impact a property's ability to sell, according to Rochester Real Estate Blog. Team Callaghan at Keller Williams Realty states that bad neighbors can cause a property's value to decrease by as much as 10%.
Alternatively, through conversation, these neighbors may talk a potential buyer out of considering the home, much to the listing agent's chagrin. These conversations may, contrarily, be very beneficial for buyers, though. RISMedia recommends buyers ask their potential future neighbors questions about the neighborhood, school district, and community before making a purchase decision.
However, a weekday open house shouldn't immediately raise red flags. HomeLight states that open houses hosted on Thursday nights during specific times of the year can draw a more sizable crowd than other nights of the week, and this principle applies best during the spring and summer when the sun sets later in the day. Redfin also says that listed properties with Thursday night showings tend to sell faster than open houses on other work weeknights.