Diary of an Annapolis Open House: 7 Red Balloons and Other Tricks of the Real Estate Trade
March 14th, 2008 Categories: Buyers, Sellers
What’s it like being a real estate agent?
What do you DO at open houses? Say to people?
Do open houses really work?
We get these and so many other questions about open houses from so many people, that I thought a blow-by-blow account of a real one, with actual people photos and not models - like in those Geico ads - might be of interest. This open took place on Sunday, March 2nd, at a listing we have in Eastport, 1006 Boucher Ave - one of the best buys anywhere in Annapolis. We join the action 15 minutes before the scheduled 1PM start time…
12:45PM: - Pick up seven red balloons at office. Seven is my lucky number this week. Fellow agent - his lack of faith in balloons and other marketing props no secret - asks what my strategy will be if the red balloons don’t work. I tell him we’ll try white ones next week.
1:15PM: - First car pulls up, looks like BMW - always a good sign. False alarm: it’s Richard Rainford (left), a lender I know from Countrywide. I like Richard: he’s persistent, not a pest, a thin line some lenders trip over. We talk shop. He casually wonders aloud if any buyers might fall out of my sky and into his lap. I tell him you never know.
1:30PM: - Jane and John stop in. Nice young couple. He’s an engineer, she’s a concert violinist. Impressed! We talk orchestras, conductors, music rooms. I’m talking way out of my league, and skating dangerously close to sheer stupidity. They love the house but it’s only about $600,000 above their price range. We talk townhomes, locking in mortgage rates, other first-time homebuyer stuff. Will call them in a week.
2:00PM: - Crowd comes through, several groups at once. Only name I can remember is Tracy. For years have tried every trick in book for recalling multiple names but memory in that part of brain must be full. This is new construction; Tracy and her companion (husband?) know the builder, love the house. They’re looking for a second home, considering Eastport.
2:45PM: - Our clients, Eunice and Tony, stop in with Carol Ward, who works on our team - The Moss Haedrich Team - as a buyer agent. I help Eunice slip on booties, which we keep on hand to protect the new hardwood floors. Eunice is a renowned cook and loves the gourmet kitchen, with acres of granite countertops. Tony seems smitten with the home, too. They’re thinking about it.
3:00PM: - Booties reminds me of time a burly fellow left in a huff because I asked him - nicely, really - if he’d slip them on to help us protect the floors. His wife rolled her eyes and mumbled something under her breath about 3 year olds. Me too. After they left.
3:00PM to 4:00PM: - One more couple, Long Island natives, stop by. Own a home in St. Michael’s, considering a move. They’ll be in touch if they have any questions. Turn out lights, lock up, take down balloons. Feels good to finally sit down in car. My feet could use a massage.
Ken - Having just come off a string of open houses myself I appreciate your version of ‘duty’ in Annapolis, espcially the story about the “booties.” We also showed a new house where we asked people to remove their shoes to protect the floors and carpet and you would have thought we were asking for their first born! Always makes you wonder what their own house looks like . . . . Good luck with the white balloons.
Michael
Good to hear from you, Michael. Fortunately, most people today are attuned to concerns about flooring and carpet and are happy to play along. I think almost everyone understands that if it were THEIR house, they would appreciate the gesture. Incidentally, we buy the booties at Home Depot in bulk. You get about 10 or 15 pairs for a few bucks, and it’s well worth it. I’ll let you know how the white balloons work out!
Ken
Welcome to the real estate world! And they say it’s so easy. Right! Good work Ken.
Have a wonderful Easter. I’m going to the symphony tonight and Easter dinner with wonderful friends tomorrow.
Fondly,
Susan
Thanks for welcoming our blog to the real estate world, Susan. We appreciate the kind words. Have a splendid Easter!