How To Attend A Knoxville Open House Like A Pro

When you’re in the process of looking at homes, you start to pay attention to every Knoxville home for sale.

So, it can be easy to get drawn into an open house. You’re driving around on a Sunday afternoon and happen to see an open house sign in a neighborhood you like. You’ve got the time so you decide to stop by and have a look since you’ve been struggling to find the right home.

Before you attend an open house, it’s important that you know how to properly behave. Open houses are a bit different than just a regular showing. In this post, we’ll cover how to attend a Knoxville open house like a pro.

Be Kind To The Host

When you go look at a Knoxville open house, you may not want to be bothered by a realtor. You don’t want a realtor forcing a sale or getting in your way. While that’s understandable, don’t completely ignore the host altogether. After all, if you walk in without saying much and act avoidant, you may raise a red flag that you’re up to no good.

Upon entering the house, say hello to the host and sign into the property if asked. Then, go have a look around at the property.

If you do find that a realtor is being pushy, be sure to inform them if you are working with another realtor. This should generally stop them.

Keep Your Mouth Shut

“If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say nothing at all.” -Thumper, Bambi

Do you remember your mom saying this to you when you were young? This is a great rule of thumb when it comes to attending open houses. Unlike other showings where it’s just you and your agent, anything you say can be picked up by other buyers or the listing agent. It’s good etiquette to leave these comments until you leave the house.

In addition, you don’t want to say too much at an open house anyhow. You don’t know who could hear you. If you really like the house, you wouldn’t want to give anything away to the competition or to let the listing agent know more than they should. This could hurt your bargaining power later on.

So as a rule of thumb, when you attend an open house, keep your best poker face on and don’t say much of anything.

Remember The Agent Is Working For The Seller

There are many buyers who attend Knoxville open houses before they really begin their home search. Many of these buyers aren’t savvy enough to know that when you go to an open house the agent working works for the seller.  So, be sure that you are leery when you go to an open house.

This is not to say that you need to be rude or ignore the listing agent altogether. It just means to keep your cards close to you. If you really like the home, be careful what you share with the listing agent. Anything you share with them they will tell their seller.

It can be helpful to hire an agent of your own before you even begin your home search. If you really want to attend open houses, they can attend with you or arrange a private showing for you. This way you’ll have someone watching out for your best interest.

Be Respectful

Finally, as with any showing, it’s important to respect a seller’s home. You have the full ability to roam through a seller’s home and get a good feel for it, but that doesn’t give you the right to act like an animal.

Don’t go rifling through a seller’s medicine closet or opening up drawers. It’s a seller’s personal space, so you don’t need to go looking in places that you don’t belong.

In addition, if you must bring your kids to the open house, be sure that you keep an eye on them at all times. You don’t want them accidentally breaking something or leaving fingerprints all over freshly painted walls.

Are you thinking about buying a Knoxville this year? Please let us know if there is any way that Knoxville Home Team can assist you. Rick can be reached at 865-696-9002 or via email at [email protected]. Kati can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 865-696-1888.

If you’re ready to start your home search today, be sure to our Knoxville Home Search Page.