How To Host the Best Open House Ever

If you're trying to sell your house, especially in this market, you need to know how to make sure the open house is a success.

Lance Mohr recalls an open house when he was helping an interested couple tour through the home. The owner, an elderly woman, walked with them and as Mohr showed off the nice-sized master bedroom to the potential buyers, the old woman looked wistfully through the doorway and said, "This is the room where my husband died."

"Everything got quiet, the energy was sucked out of the room and the couple quickly left," said Mohr. "I thought, 'Why didn't I send her to the movies for the afternoon?'"

Open houses have become somewhat controversial in the real estate world in recent years. Many professionals question their usefulness now that many prospective buyers can search through homes and see video tours online. However, others believe that nothing will replace the American tradition of trudging out on a weekend and roaming neighborhoods you like while on the lookout for those colorful flags and "Open House" signs.

"You can get an idea online, but it's an entirely different experience when you visit the home," says Los Angeles real estate agent Steve Dixon. "Ideally, the open house is really designed for 'looky-loos.' You want people to picture themselves living there, which is hard to do on a computer screen."

In the real estate market of today, sellers want to see their homes sell quickly, which isn't a given. Your realtor may be an experienced pro at selling homes in your neighborhood, but is there anything you can do to push the sale along during the open house? Here are some tips that contribute to a successful open: