What Can You Learn from an Open House? (A Whole Lot)

Buying

Open houses are essential to visit when you’re buying a home. However, you can head to them even if you’re not looking to buy.

Let’s be honest: It’s fun to look at other people’s homes, especially when they’ve done something creative or covetable with the décor or architecture.

There are things to learn at an open house, though, right along with satisfying your curious side.

3 Ways an Open House Can Teach You a Thing or Two About Real Estate

A showing isn’t just something to check out if you’re looking to buy a home. It can also be an enlightening and fun experience that teaches you about a real estate market you’re interested in.

Here’s what you might learn along the way.

1. It’ll Show You What You Can Afford

Checking out homes in your price range will show you exactly what you can afford – and whether you’ve been dreaming too big.

It’s a smart idea to do some open house hopping before you make a decision to move, yourself. It can give you a great idea of what’s desirable in your area, how much various neighborhoods and houses are going for, and whether you can really move where you want to live.

2. It’ll Get You Acquainted with a Neighborhood

If you want an up-close-and-personal look at a neighborhood you’re interested in – even if that’s only for a vague “someday” move – open houses give you a great glimpse.

They’ll show you what types of families live in the area, if it’s bustling with activity, and what types of homes you can expect to see on the market. You’ll also end up driving through the neighborhood quite a bit as you check out available properties, so you’ll see what parks, businesses, and other amenities are nearby.

3. You’ll See How the Realtor Does Their Job

Finding the perfect realtor may be as simple as touring a few showings and seeing how they do their job. If you really like the way they answered your questions, and if they seemed knowledgeable and easy to get along with, you can always request their business card for your back pocket.

At the same time, touring listings can also show you what you don’t want in a realtor. Maybe one was too pushy, or, on the flip side, completely ignored you. Whatever impression they made, it’s knowledge you’ll take with you down the road when you do decide to start looking seriously.

If You’re Inching Toward a Move, Research Can Help

Attending showings can be fun and enlightening, especially if you’re inching toward a move but aren’t quite ready to dive in, yet.

Whatever you do, think of it as research. You never know what you might learn if you attend open houses with an open mind. You may even stumble into your future realtor.