Open House Safety

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An open house can be a great way to advertise that your home is for sale, and Realtors have been holding Open Houses for as long as people can remember. However, homeowners and Realtors need to be careful and put some thought into safety before they open the doors to the home.

A few safety tips that can keep everyone safe:

• Realtors should bring another agent or friend with them in order to not be in the house alone.
• If the Realtor must be alone, they should make sure that family members and co-workers know where they are and what times.
• Homeowners should put away things in the home that could easily be stolen, such as jewelry and prescription medication.
• Realtors should arrive early and introduce themselves to the neighbors so the neighbors can keep and eye out for anything "fishy" going on during the Open House.
• Advertising the Open House on websites like craigslist should be done with caution. Remember, everyone can see these ads, not just people who are looking for a home.
• Realtors should ask people stopping by to sign in. That way there is written proof of who came through the house.

Overall, use common sense and pay attention to your intuition. Obviously, in order to sell your house, you are going to have to let people in to see it. But, everyone involved should be mindful of safety for the homeowner and the Realtor.

-Written by Maggie Claprood and Judy Rockensock-