Unpopular opinion: realtor open houses are a waste of your Saturday morning

I spent four weekends going to open houses around Tacoma before I realized the listings online had the same photos, the same notes, and the same asking prices. The only thing I gained was practice talking to agents, and honestly, they were pushing me toward higher-priced homes the whole time. But then a friend who sold his place last summer told me he got three offers from a single open house, so maybe it works for sellers, not buyers. My take is that open houses are for the agent to find clients, not for you to find a home. Has anyone actually bought a house from walking into an open house cold, or is it all about the polite small talk and a free cookie?

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1 Comment

elizabeth_ramirez8d ago

Take it from someone who bought after a year of hunting. I walked into dozens of open houses and never found the one that way. But I did learn what I didn't want, which was almost as useful. The real trick is to go early, ask the agent about the sellers' situation, and read between the lines on stuff like "motivated" or "priced to sell." My agent ended up finding me a place that wasn't even listed yet, so the open houses were just homework for me. Your mileage may vary, but don't count on the cookie to seal a deal.