Open Home Protocol

Manners go a along way and it is no different when you go to an open home.  You are entering someone’s personal space and in some cases they have lived their entire lives.  A real estate agent is there to represent the owner to get the best outcome for them.  If you are a big mouthed nosey, nothing better to do type with no coin in your pocket… best you stay home!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the property chit-chat podcast. I'm your host Louis Roque, where I talk about everything and anything property

Speaker 2: 0:11

Today. I want to talk a little bit about attending an open home or an open for inspection. Want to talk about it? Because sometimes when buyers go to an open home, they actually forget, or don't give a stuff. I don't know which of the term it is. Maybe it's a combination of both that quite often, actually more often than not. It is somebody's home. A little bit of respect would be greatly appreciated. As you can imagine. It's not easy having your home on the market, especially if you've lived there for a long time. Some people have brought their whole families up and been in this house for many, many years and a buyer can go along and not really think about that. Obviously, a lot of these older homes may need, you know, some work, somebody might've been in there, especially elderly people who have seen their families come and go. Maybe their husband or wife have passed away. And the now been widowed for some time. Things could get out of hand because it is a lot of work to maintain a home to a reasonable standard, particularly once you get older. So I just thought it would be a reminder, a good reminder, that when you do go to somebody's property, especially if it has actually been, or is still a home to that person or that those people that please bear in mind what you say and what you do. Usually it is respectful for both the lent, the real estate agent or the sales consultant to take their shoes off. Sometimes it is not practical. For instance, you might go to a property with the capita's falsey or the, you know, the floorboards are there or whatever. But if the house has obviously presented well, and it's got nice carpets and this, that, and the other thing it is, it is respectful. Actually take your shoes off and leave them at the door and the salesperson. Sometimes there's assigned doing that, but if you get there and they ask you to take your shoes off, we'll just bear in mind that the person living there is trying to maintain their house clean and tidy. And it also could be a cultural thing as well, especially if it's winter or whatever, you've got mud on your shoes and all the rest of it. So that's just a, no-brainer, it's very important. Especially these days during epidemics and things, it's a register of who goes in and out that property is kicked. So therefore, I would say to you, if you're going to an open home, expect to give your name both first name and surname, your mobile contact number and an email address. And sometimes even, maybe they will ask your address as well. Now, the reasons that these are there's various reasons at the moment, of course, you know, we've got the sign and COVID 19 sign and tracer or registered. Yeah. And also there could be other reasons for this. And one of the main reasons is, is that the sales person has said yes to the vendor or the owner of the property that everybody that goes, yeah, the property they will follow up with. And they will try to get some feedback about the property. See if they're interested in the property, see what price point the person thinks it sets it. And that is why when you go to an open home, you have to expect those details and you have to expect a phone call or a follow-up. And quite frankly, you know, it would be great if you could come forward and say what you expect, because if you're going to open homes and you're not actually in the market, stay home, supervising children, I've been to some open homes. I've actually had to say to them, people, listen, there's a few dangers here. The hand railing is older than this, the debt. Yeah. Near our hesitant signs around the place that a sales consultant should put there. If they identify some unsafe peasants, however, sometimes they may be things like YouTube around and somebody's, child's bouncing on the bead. You know, if you're taking children to open homes and by all means, it is your responsibility to supervise the child. And if you can't control their behavior, get someone to look out at someone else's house. As I said, at the beginning that you're going into, I've also turned around once at an opening home. And I saw somebody on the roof of the house. I just about had a heart attack. I sit in a very stern voice. Can you get off there now place and then watched him and helped him while he did. You're not a builder. You're not to go and put yourself in a situation where it is dangerous. If you want to look at the roof and things like that, get a builder in, or look at it from a distance or whatever. You're not to actually physically go up and look on pictures, rubes and do this, that, and the other thing, because the sales person and possibly the owner of the property, you know, could be responsible. There's all sorts of things there. And that is just not on pressing against something old to see if it will disintegrate or what it's like being an intrusive sort of, again, you're being a builder, you're going around and you're looking at this, that, and the other thing pressing on window sills that are half rotten, all the rest of it. Okay. Get a building report. Yes. Visually you can see that there may be something there that you need to look at further, but certainly don't go around the house deciding that brand, man, who's been there for 70 years and the house has got some issues. I E need some maintenance that you've decided you're going to go around and she comes home and there's all holes all over the place. The other thing that I wanted to bring to your attention is that sometimes I've actually had on many occasions, the old pain in the ass who lives down the road and decides that every open home they're going to go to, and they're going to say at the top of their voices, how God, they thought it was a bigger lounge, the lounge is small.

Speaker 3: 5:58

Isn't it? Oh, good canceling. It kept me on my place down the road. We'll go. We've got a much better view there. Oh God, I didn't realize I hit that.

Speaker 2: 6:05

Small Dick, et cetera, et cetera. If you want to say that stuff, go and say it. When you get home, go and say it. When you you're in the car, don't say it in front of all these potential buyers. Okay. But we're there to buy the property. Nobody would expect a sales consultant not to be working for the owner. If you've got an opinion, great. If you're not there to buy it even better, stay away. So what I'm saying is is that by all means, we invite friends and neighbors and all the rest of it to come and have a look. But again, it comes back to thinking about that. It is somebody's house, that they are trying to get the most for their property and going there and doing that sort of behavior and putting down somebody's life's work and putting the salesperson in an awkward situation. And quite frankly, just being bloody rude, shut your mouth and come along and have a look. So I just thought, I'd mention these few things that expect to have details taken. Okay. Hope to see you at the next open home.

Speaker 1: 7:14

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