Today I was listening to a successful agent on a podcast talking about how she worked open houses to get business when she first started. She proudly exclaimed that she never made anyone sign in because it looks pushy and desperate.
If you didn’t know, it’s common in real estate for the listing agent to let another agent to hold an open house for them. Agents who want to hold open houses are usually newer because they’re looking for leads. Agents who have a lot of business often need help holding open houses. Cattle calls are held inside brokerages asking for agent to hold open houses. The problem is that these agents never know the property as well as the actual listing agent.
As the agent in the podcast talked, all I could think of was my homeowners who I represent and for whom I’ve agreed to protect and act as a fiduciary. This is one reason I insist on holding my own open houses. Kathy and I work closely together so we can always back each other up when needed.
I have always loved open houses. I have not always loved signing in. I get it. It’s annoying to sign in. But there are valid reasons why you should always want to sign in and with your correct information.
Our primary job as a listing agent is to act as a fiduciary for our client and part of that is gatekeeping and protecting their property. It seems many agents looking for leads forget that their responsibility during an open house is to the seller, not their own interests.
A Sign-In at the Open House Does Three Things:
- Keeps a record of the people in the house in case anything goes missing or is damaged.
- Helps the agent remember who visited the house so that they can relay pertinent information back to the seller.
- Serves as a deterrent for those who might have mischievous reasons for visiting the open house.
If you’re not willing to sign in with your correct information, then you shouldn’t be allowed access to the homeowner’s home. It’s really as simple as that.
We had a case recently in our area where prescription meds were being stolen by a visitor to open houses. Imagine it was at a house where someone signed in with incorrect information. With ring cameras and a false name given, you could find yourself a suspect. Especially in this case because it turned out to be a reputable member of the community who was signing in with his correct information. No one would ever question him. This person was eventually caught because there was a camera in an area he didn’t expect. It caught him going through the medicine cabinet in the primary bathroom.
The podcast Realtor’s point was valid. It is an obnoxious prospecting tool. For myself, I only follow up with those I had good rapport with or know from our conversation I can help.
Bottom line is the seller is the client here and every professional associated with that client should have the client’s best interest at heart. It’s a really good reason for a Realtor not to hire randos looking for leads to hold open houses for the clients who have entrusted their services.
