Open House Etiquette

Have you ever just wanted to jump in the car and go looking at Open Houses? Do you live in a complex and just wanted to see how other people decorate their suites? Do you have a relative in Ontario who might want to move here someday and so you are scouting out homes for them? Is there an Open House at your home and you are killing time?
People visit Open Houses for all kinds of reasons. Some even come with a view to buying! As REALTORS®, we love that!
But seriously, the purpose of an Open House is to attract qualified buyers who will fall in the love with the property and make an offer. In truth, studies show that a marginal amount of sales result from Opens (except for new construction projects). I believe it is something in the range of 1% to 2%.
There are a few things you should know before going in:
1. The salesperson in attendance is almost always hired by the seller to market and sell the property for the highest possible price. Therefore, when you ask "how low do you think they will go"? You can assume with 100% accuracy that they will accept the asking price. The salesperson cannot indicate anything other than that, because they are representing the seller's best interests.
2. If you are already working with a REALTOR®, by all means, tell the salesperson in attendance. He/she will appreciate it!
3. Introduce yourself and if you are just curious or just looking, let the realtor know. Again, being forthright will be appreciated and you will not be followed around and questioned incessantly!
4. Kindly leave your drinks and snacks in the car. Spilled Starbucks and Slurpees; not good.
5. Be nice; take your shoes off at the door.
6. Do not bring children to an Open. Even if it is a family home there are breakables. Moving around  treasured toys will be noticed when the owners come home.
7. Stay together. REALTORS®,  are responsible for the home while it is open and having people roaming around separately, makes this task difficult.
8. In general, keep in mind that you are a guest in someone's home and it is likely their most valuable asset. Please be respectful of their property.
9. If the salesperson asks you to sign in with name, address, phone number, please provide the information. This is done for security reasons. Some visitors find this intrusive, but think about it this way, would you let a complete stranger walk into your home and look around without knowing who they are?
9. Finally, we don't mind you coming for all of the reasons mentioned. Seriously, it is all good exposure for the property and some realtors even pick up new clients from Open Houses. Just use common courtesy and have a good time. Who knows? It may turn out to be your dream home!