“Ah! We are going to our first Open House! What do we do?”

The home-buying process can be intimidating and the first step in that process for many young home-buyers is popping into an Open House.

You’ve been scrolling Zillow, Trulia, & Realtor.com for months and a beautiful home that is exactly what you want alerts you to an Open House. Obviously you want to go but you’re anxious. I totally get it. Here’s what to expect…

Open Houses are a pretty chill experience. I will venture to say that no one is buying the home on-site, right there, right then. The pressure is low and the atmosphere is usually calm. As an agent, I always have a small snack or treat laid out for folks and I play a pleasant instrumental playlist on Spotify. I give visitors the info sheet on the home and my business card. I’ll try to chat with visitors, too, but don’t let that pressure you as the buyer. Just be honest with the agent. If it’s a home you fell in love with online and just HAD to see it, regardless if you’re actually ready to buy the home or if it was a huge letdown, you can tell the agent that.

*I have updated my sign-in sheet format since this open house.

Do I really have to sign-in?

The agent often will (and should) have a sign-in sheet for visitors. It may seem invasive to you since you’re just stopping by with no strings attached, but for the seller, an Open House means a dozen random people will be traipsing through their home for a few hours, so a sign-in sheet gives them peace of mind.

So what about this sheet of paper about the home?

The details of the property are noted on this sheet, like the number of beds and baths, heating type, taxes, and school district. Take some time at the home to read over the sheet and ask the agent if you have any questions. The agent is also likely to have a Seller’s Disclosure document that notes the known history of the home, like when the roof and furnace were last replaced, so feel free to ask additional questions.

We went home, we talked, we really like it. What do we do now?

If you already have a Real Estate Agent that you’ve been talking to or know an agent personally, contact them about the property. If you don’t already have an agent, contact the agent that hosted the open house. Not getting the right vibes from that agent? Google Real Estate Agents in your local area, adding “first-time homebuyer” to your search terms, if applicable. While you’re contacting an agent, you should also start examining your finances and figuring out how much you can and want to spend on a home purchase, then getting a pre-approval from a mortgage lender.

Attending an Open House is a good first step but it is not the only way to begin the search for your new home. Contact a real estate agent local to you, or if you’re local to me, contact me and we can get you started with the home-buying process!