Viewing Homes: The Open House
When you're shopping for a home, make it a point to attend at least a few open houses before you start touring with an agent. This is a good way to start getting a feel for what you want in a home before you start working with an agent. (Make sure you read our tip below on Procuring Cause to avoid committing yourself to an agent by accident!)
It's easy to search for upcoming open houses on Redfin.com. Whenever you run a search for homes, we'll automatically label any upcoming open houses with the word OPEN above the home icon on the map.
You can also change your search criteria to include only open houses:
- On the search map, click More Options near the search box at the stop of the page.
- In the drop-down menu, find the column on the far right labeled Include Only.
- From this column, make sure Open Houses is selected. You can select Open Houses coming up this weekend, or any time.
- Run your new search. Only homes with upcoming open houses will be displayed.
Click on a home icon, and the time and date for the open house will be displayed in the preview pane displayed in the preview pane at the right of the map.
If you're on a listing details page for a home with an open house, the time and date will be displayed below the home's photos, along with a link for driving directions.
You can also find open house information on Craigslist
You don't need to make any arrangements to attend an open house -- just show up at the right time and place, and walk right in.
The open house will be hosted by the listing agent (or an associate). The home's owner will usually not be present, though for-sale-by-owner homes may be hosted by the owner.
Tip!
Procuring cause is basically the real estate agent's version of calling dibs. If an agent claims procuring cause on your home purchase, it means that he or she is entitled to collect the commission on the sale. The agent is taking credit (literally) for the fact that you found and purchased the home.
But sometimes, the listing agent hosting an open house will try to claim procuring cause on you. Why? So he can collect both the listing agent and buyer's agent portions of the commission, leading to a dual-agency situation. If you're not careful, this can happen to you.
Be careful before you sign anything at an open house, even a sign-in sheet. This may contractually obligate you to work with the listing agent, especially if you're viewing new construction. Don't sign anything without making it clear to the seller's representative that you already have a buyer's agent.
If you don't have a buyer's agent yet, tell the listing agent that you intend to find your own agent to represent you as a buyer. If you feel pressured to sign in, use your first name and last initial only, and leave no contact information. If the listing agent is hostile, you can always leave and come back another time by touring the home with your agent.
During the open house, you'll generally be free to walk around the property, though the listing agent may request that you stay out of certain rooms or areas (such as locked storage compartments). You can spend as much time as you'd like looking around the home as long as the open house is running, though most buyers find a few minutes to half-an-hour to be enough time.
If you want to spend time in the home taking detailed measurements and scrutinizing every square inch, you may be better served by booking a private tour with your agent.
If you're early in your home-buying process, attending several open houses can help you get an idea about your likes and dislikes. Size, age, location, number of bedrooms & bathrooms, and amenities are a few of the major factors to keep track of.
If you want a more comprehensive list, here are just some of the many other factors you can consider when imagining your perfect home:
- Architectural style
- Home age
- Amenities
- Number/location of bedrooms
- Number/location of bathrooms
- Size of rooms
- Presence of basement, attic, and storage
- Closet space
- Number of floors
- Number of bedrooms on each floor
- Presence of master bedroom
- Sight lines through home
- Age of electrical and plumbing
- Mother-in-law units
- Amount of natural light
- Views
- Age/type of heating systems
- Proximity to mass transit
- Open vs. traditional floorplan
- Home size (square footage)
- Property (land) size
- Location
- Noise levels (inside and outside home)
- Walkability
- Neighborhood "feel"
- Proximity to neighboring homes
- Proximity to schools or parks
- Outdoor pools and tubs
- Porches and decks
- Landscaping
- Garage capacity/parking
- Remodeling opportunities
- Source of drinking water
- Public sewage or septic system?
- Presence of radon, asbestos, or lead paint
You can also apply many of the same tips you'd use when taking a private tour of a home with your agent; check out our page of home tour tips. And read what other Redfin users are saying about open houses in our forums.