Have you ever had your property on the market and been told it needs to be open every Saturday — and sometimes on additional weekdays and evenings as well? I can almost guarantee if you have looked to purchase a property you will have seen a long list of open times advertised for weeks in advance. We’re seeing a bit of this at the moment. Agents are heading to properties every weekend, often running open homes regardless of actual buyer demand. In the worst-case scenario, no buyers turn up at all. We have spoken to a number of buyers recently who have requested an inspection outside of the advertised open (normally on a Saturday) who have even been declined.
At Kardinia Property, we believe open homes should be strategic, not habitual.
Every open home should have a purpose. The goal isn’t to create activity for the sake of activity — it’s to create meaningful buyer engagement that moves your campaign forward. A Smart Open strategy combines both open homes and private inspections. While private inspections often require more time and effort from the agent, they frequently attract more qualified buyers. When showing a property privately, an agent has the opportunity to build a relationship with the buyer and gain a deeper understanding of their circumstances, motivations, and timeframe. Both of these factors can have a significant impact when it comes to negotiating the highest possible price for the seller.
More opens don’t automatically mean more competition. In fact, repeated opens with low attendance can damage the digital footprint of the property and send negative messaging to buyers.
At Kardinia Property we have two main drivers when considering the Smart Open Strategy
- To create a smart open strategy that aligns with our client’s goals and circumstances.
- To create maximum buyer engagement throughout the campaign.
A good example is that in the launch stages of the campaign properties will have the most engagement from the market, therefore this is a good time to have an open for inspection as an option for buyers. It also allows the seller a good opportunity to receive some buyer feedback and if any adjustments need to be made they can be made on this feedback. Another example is holding two Saturday opens consecutively and then intentionally holding off the third week. What often happens in this second example is that genuine buyers will contact the office and request a private inspection – a much better result for the seller than running an open with nosy neighbours or passers-by or even worse having to tidy up the property (if you are living in it) only to find out no-one attended the scheduled open.
It’s not about how many times your door is open. It’s about opening it at the right time, for the right buyers, with the right strategy. If you are looking to move and would like to explore further please reach out or if you have been on the market for a very long time and you have been thinking ‘there has to be another way’.
You are right, there is, call Sara, Jackson or Beau on 52928084.