Just in time for the fall selling season, here are five tips to make the most of an open home visit. And here are three quick suggestions for how to track our new listings and open homes.

• Create an account on our website to get new listing alerts.
• Check out our Open Homes page.
• Follow us on Facebook to see our weekly Open Home listings.

1. Schedule Your Day

Research open homes in advance and plan your day so you can see more than one. Map their locations and decide the order in which you’ll see them. Depending on open home times, it may be more efficient to start at the one farthest from your own home and then work your way back.

2. Be Courteous to the Host

As you enter the home, you may feel apprehensive about speaking with the selling agent. Look at this moment as a way of building relationships within the real estate market.

When you enter the home, take a few seconds and greet the hosting agent, answer their questions and accept literature about the home.

Ask for permission before you take photos or record video.

Before you leave, be sure to take the agent’s business card for future contact.

3. Ask Questions

The hosting agent will not only know details about the home, but they will also be able to answer questions about the community, school system, neighborhood, and other places nearby. This is an efficient way to turn an open home visit into a fact-finding mission about the community.

4. Tour Every Room

If you’re visiting an open home with another person or multiple family members, take the time to view every room yourself. You can certainly split up, but be sure each member of your group sees each room and area for themselves. This eliminates getting a second-hand impression. You’re already in the home, so take the time to view each room yourself. Be sure to view the garage, basement, and attic spaces.

This doesn’t mean, however, that you should open bureaus and cabinets and go through the homeowners’ possessions. You can bring a tape measure to check measurements of cabinets and drawers without opening them. The agent is there to provide any detailed information that’s not listed in the property literature.

5. Tour the Outside

Be sure to give yourself time to tour the exterior of the home. Many homes on the market offer outdoor living spaces, from patios to decks to porches. Your open home visit shouldn’t overlook these key spaces that can add more square footage to your living space.

Walk the lot on every side of the home to view elements such as landscaping, gardens, fencing, and sheds. Take note of such details as the type and condition of exterior siding, window framing, and exterior stairs.

Our open homes are an ideal way to get to know real estate for sale in Chicago’s western suburbs. We hope you include them in your weekend plans!