Open House Hosts

Dear Phyllis,
My aunt passed and I was
the trustee. I hired the Realtor
that my attorney strongly
recommended. He put together
a marketing strategy that
included a Realtor’s open
house and open houses on the
weekend. Although he is part of
a team, I mostly dealt with him
or his transaction coordinator.

He held the home open for the
Realtors open house but not for
the public open houses. We did
sell the home in two weeks for
more than asking. But I am still
bothered that he didn’t take the
time to manage the public open
houses.

Am I wrong to be put off by that?

— GB

Dear GB,
You expected your agent
to stay visible throughout
the process. However, real
estate rarely runs on a
simple schedule. Agents work
weekdays with lenders, escrow,
and title companies. Then we
shift to buyers and showings
on weekends. As a result,
many experienced agents rely
on trusted colleagues to host
public open houses.

Also, this approach can help
your sale. A different agent
may market to a different
social media audience. In turn,
that added exposure can create
more interest and stronger
offers.

If your agent never explained
who would host the opens, you
have a valid concern. Clear
expectations should come first.
A quick conversation at the
start would have prevented
this frustration. Even so, the
results matter. The home
was sold in two weeks. It also
sold over asking. Based on
the outcome, your agent still
delivered exactly what you
hired them to do.

Phyllis