Washington, April 19, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly half of all home buyers visit open houses during their home search, and with about 5 million home sales expected this year, that's a lot of open houses. Whether you're buying or selling in today's market, the National Association of Realtors® has tips that can help you make the most of an open house experience.
See video from the National Association of Realtors® and Synaptic Digital at: http://inr.synapticdigital.com/nar/openhouses
"Open houses provide the opportunity for homes to put their best façade forward, so to speak," said NAR President Gary Thomas, broker-owner of Evergreen Realty, in Villa Park, Calif. "Because they work with so many buyers throughout the year, Realtors® understand what drives the local market and know what home features matter most. Realtors® bring value to both home buyers and sellers in this regard - they can help sellers position their home effectively in a given market and help buyers find the home that's right for them because they understand the local inventory."
According to NAR's 2013 Profile of Buyers' Home Feature
Preferences, geography plays a big role in what buyers are looking
for. Southerners tend to buy newer homes - many of them reported
wanting a home that was less than five years old. Buyers in the
South also thought central air conditioning was very important. In
the Midwest, many buyers want garages, and Northeasterners prefer
hardwood floors more than buyers in other regions.
In addition to wanting different things in a home, buyers also use
open houses differently. According to the NAR 2012 Profile of Home
Buyers and Sellers, repeat buyers are more likely to find their
home from an open house than are first-time buyers, and couples -
both married and unmarried - are more likely to visit open houses
than are single buyers. Across the U.S., buyers in the South are
the most likely to find their home through an open house.
Whether you're a buyer, seller, or both in today's market, www.houselogic.com/buyandsell has tips and advice for a successful real estate transaction.
The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.