When you’re shopping for a new home, open houses can give you a chance to view a home, ask questions and quickly put in an offer. But open houses can attract many potential homebuyers, meaning you’ll have competition.
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If you’re serious about buying a home, then it can be helpful to get strategic about when you attend open houses and which day of the week you should avoid them.
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Don’t Visit Open Houses on This Day of the Week
If you’re serious about buying, you may want to avoid open houses held on Sundays, unless that’s the first opportunity available to see the house. Tom Hedge, global advisor at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, explained that Sunday open houses tend to bring more traffic than any other day, so chances are you’ll be one of numerous potential homebuyers at the event.
Andrew Fortune, owner and realtor at Great Colorado Homes, encouraged homebuyers to try to visit homes on a Friday afternoon. Since most buyers are at work and will wait to view a home until the weekend, Fridays tend to be quieter, which can have several advantages.
“Sellers and agents are less rushed, so you can ask more questions,” he said. “You might notice things that others miss when it’s not crowded. I have seen buyers get a better feel for the house this way.”
Visiting the house on a quieter day also gives you the chance to spot any potential issues before the weekend rush. If you can’t make it on a Friday, Fortune explained that weekdays, especially Thursday, are also less competitive.
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When To Forego the Open House Altogether
If you’ve found a house that you’re highly interested in, don’t wait for an open house at all. Instead, contact your real estate agent.
“If a buyer is serious about buying and has picked a house they want to see, I would not recommend waiting for an open house,” said Hedge. “I’d have them call me, and we can go and look at it as early as possible.”
By seeing a house as soon as possible, you can potentially put in an offer before an open house takes place. If you make a solid offer, the seller might accept it before you have to compete against other potential buyers who attend the open house.
If you do attend an open house, be prepared to make an offer right away if you’re serious about the house. According to Hedge, it can be essential to put in an offer immediately after an open house, especially if you’re looking at a highly desirable or well-priced home.
“Submitting an offer quickly shows the buyer is prepared, motivated and qualified, which can give them an edge over slower or indecisive buyers,” Hedge explained.
How To Make Your Offer Competitive
Make sure that you’re prepared before you attend an open house. Fortune recommended that you have your pre-approval letter ready before you start looking at homes. He also suggested that you bring your real estate agent to the open house, so you can start discussing numbers right away if you want to make an offer.
“I always tell buyers to know their top price and must-haves before they walk in,” he added. “If you want to move fast, have your pre-approval letter ready to show anyone who asks.”
Fortune explained that to make your offer competitive, avoid asking for many things. Keep your offer direct, clean and easy to understand so it appeals to the seller.
When you make your offer, make it as strong as possible.
“Submitting a ‘low ball’ offer can sour any chance of coming to terms with a seller,” said Hedge. Additionally, he recommended that you make contingency dates for home inspections, mortgage commitments and other deadlines as tight as possible to demonstrate how serious you are about the house.
Buying a house can be a long process, and if you’re trying to buy highly desirable properties, you may have to make offers on several homes before one is accepted. The real estate industry is competitive, but if you remain persistent and are well-prepared, chances are you’ll eventually find and be able to buy your new home.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Don’t Visit Open Houses on This Day of the Week if You’re Serious About Buying
