Why does it seem that most open houses are on Sundays between about 11am and 1pm? There appear to be few outliers in terms of day of the week or time of day? And what's with the trend towards "Open Houses by Appointment Only" - isn't that basically just a normal showing? Is it that brokers don't want to risk having an open house that no one comes to? I know some brokers prefer to show apts one on... [more]
Why does it seem that most open houses are on Sundays between about 11am and 1pm? There appear to be few outliers in terms of day of the week or time of day?
And what's with the trend towards "Open Houses by Appointment Only" - isn't that basically just a normal showing? Is it that brokers don't want to risk having an open house that no one comes to? I know some brokers prefer to show apts one on one so they can give more attention to each prospective buyer.
Am I the only one who generally prefers seeing an apt first at an open house? I feel like I have more mental space to just get a feel for the apartment and see whether or not I could live in it without a broker following me throughout the apartment making comments about closet space. The exception being a few choice brokers who get to know you and can sense when you need to just "be". A broker last weekend was all chatty trying to sell the apt and neighborhood, it was a bit exhausting.
What I wouldn't give to be able to go to many more open houses in one day vs. spreading it across 2 or 3 weekends. Brokers and sellers: please consider this!
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Response by ab_11218
over 16 years ago
Posts: 2017
Member since: May 2009
brokers want to enjoy their sundays as well....
the 11-1 hours, for lookers with small kids, work. the kids need a nap at around 12 or 1.
for 1 br, i would show from 1-3. the bar crowd has enough time to wake up and go semi sober.
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Response by tandare
over 16 years ago
Posts: 459
Member since: Jun 2008
ab_11218 - interesting point about the 1br crowd. Though I'd think that would be even more so for studios.
And not everyone looking at open houses has kids, or has kids who are still taking naps.
What about open houses on weeknights or having some open houses from 2-4 or something? I went to two different open house last weekend that were scheduled in that area (and would be considered 'family size' apartments) and it was great that they were held then b/c otherwise I would likely have missed them - can't hit all of them if they are scheduled in a two hour window.
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Response by ab_11218
over 16 years ago
Posts: 2017
Member since: May 2009
i hope that some do it from 11-1, 12-2, 1-3, 2-4.... what i hate are the ones are 12-1.
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Response by tandare
over 16 years ago
Posts: 459
Member since: Jun 2008
Yes the one-hour "open houses" are deeply irritating: not enough time to be sure you'll get there after trying to make it to another one in the area.
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Response by NWT
over 16 years ago
Posts: 6643
Member since: Sep 2008
I think the "appointment only" is usually due to building rules.
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Response by lizyank
over 16 years ago
Posts: 907
Member since: Oct 2006
After work OHs can work in the summer months but I found them useless during the winter since light was one of my priorities. Anything I saw in the pm hours I had to come back and see again if I had even a modicum of interest.
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Response by 30yrs_RE_20_in_REO
over 16 years ago
Posts: 9877
Member since: Mar 2009
Firslty, lot of it is "vestigial" from the "Bible" being the Sunday Times RE Section. People got it on Saturday, circled the open houses for Sunday, and then went. If you scheduled any other day, people forgot about it (Saturday OH: what do you do, advertise the day before the paper officially comes out, or hope people will remember for a whole week?).
Secondly, you get more traffic by having all the open houses at essentially the same time so people can go out on "tours" of their own making. People might not not run out out to see one or two apartments, but if they can go visit a slew of units w/o even having to make an appointment, they will tend to do it because it's so much easier than making 15 phone calls, arranging appointments, etc.
Thirdly, if you go to open houses, you don't have to give a borker your info and have a discussion with them. You can show up, see the unit, and essentially ignore the broker if you feel like it.
Fourthly, people used to look in smaller areas, and there were fewer open houses, so having all the open houses in a 2 hour stretch USED to be good enough to get everyone in. But part of not being able to see all the units in 2 hours represents something which goes contrary to the claim of a number f SE'ers that "they already know the buildings, etc. they want to be in". If you actually do know that, a 2 hour window is plenty yto see all the open houses in that group. What I think the 2 hour window does is stop "you" from looking at 20 apartments in 4 neighborhoods in 6 different prices ranges.
Fifthly, I tend to use the 1-3 or 2-4 time frames rather than 11-1. One, I like to go out, and I'm prone to not waking up till at least noon on Sunday. Two, if people are actually getting the physical NT Times at a news stand (still actually happenes as hard as it is to believe), by the time they've looked at the open houses advertised, a lot are over already. Three, I get a bunch of people who show up because they have run into other people at other open houses earlier who have asked each other "have you sen that apartment at XXXXX?" ( XXX being my unit) and if they haven't, it's an extra source of buyers.
"I think the "appointment only" is usually due to building rules. "
In a number of cases, I agree (but not nearly 100%)
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brokers want to enjoy their sundays as well....
the 11-1 hours, for lookers with small kids, work. the kids need a nap at around 12 or 1.
for 1 br, i would show from 1-3. the bar crowd has enough time to wake up and go semi sober.
ab_11218 - interesting point about the 1br crowd. Though I'd think that would be even more so for studios.
And not everyone looking at open houses has kids, or has kids who are still taking naps.
What about open houses on weeknights or having some open houses from 2-4 or something? I went to two different open house last weekend that were scheduled in that area (and would be considered 'family size' apartments) and it was great that they were held then b/c otherwise I would likely have missed them - can't hit all of them if they are scheduled in a two hour window.
i hope that some do it from 11-1, 12-2, 1-3, 2-4.... what i hate are the ones are 12-1.
Yes the one-hour "open houses" are deeply irritating: not enough time to be sure you'll get there after trying to make it to another one in the area.
I think the "appointment only" is usually due to building rules.
After work OHs can work in the summer months but I found them useless during the winter since light was one of my priorities. Anything I saw in the pm hours I had to come back and see again if I had even a modicum of interest.
Firslty, lot of it is "vestigial" from the "Bible" being the Sunday Times RE Section. People got it on Saturday, circled the open houses for Sunday, and then went. If you scheduled any other day, people forgot about it (Saturday OH: what do you do, advertise the day before the paper officially comes out, or hope people will remember for a whole week?).
Secondly, you get more traffic by having all the open houses at essentially the same time so people can go out on "tours" of their own making. People might not not run out out to see one or two apartments, but if they can go visit a slew of units w/o even having to make an appointment, they will tend to do it because it's so much easier than making 15 phone calls, arranging appointments, etc.
Thirdly, if you go to open houses, you don't have to give a borker your info and have a discussion with them. You can show up, see the unit, and essentially ignore the broker if you feel like it.
Fourthly, people used to look in smaller areas, and there were fewer open houses, so having all the open houses in a 2 hour stretch USED to be good enough to get everyone in. But part of not being able to see all the units in 2 hours represents something which goes contrary to the claim of a number f SE'ers that "they already know the buildings, etc. they want to be in". If you actually do know that, a 2 hour window is plenty yto see all the open houses in that group. What I think the 2 hour window does is stop "you" from looking at 20 apartments in 4 neighborhoods in 6 different prices ranges.
Fifthly, I tend to use the 1-3 or 2-4 time frames rather than 11-1. One, I like to go out, and I'm prone to not waking up till at least noon on Sunday. Two, if people are actually getting the physical NT Times at a news stand (still actually happenes as hard as it is to believe), by the time they've looked at the open houses advertised, a lot are over already. Three, I get a bunch of people who show up because they have run into other people at other open houses earlier who have asked each other "have you sen that apartment at XXXXX?" ( XXX being my unit) and if they haven't, it's an extra source of buyers.
"I think the "appointment only" is usually due to building rules. "
In a number of cases, I agree (but not nearly 100%)