I came across this really interesting article on Domain titled
Real Estate Agents share their open house horror stories
Many Real Estate Agents take the easy way out and take money off the seller to place an advert in the newspaper for an “Open Inspection’ and then open the front door and let absolutely anyone walk through the home. The article refers to some humorous moments at Open Inspections but it can be much more serious than that.
I personally believe that Open Inspections are a source of many thefts. A few years ago we used to say that people needed more identification to rent a Video from a Video store than they do to go through someone else’s house. Strangers are allowed to wander around unsupervised. As a seller, the only people who should inspect your home are those who are identified and qualified. The last thing you want is people inspecting your home who cannot buy it or worst still, your home is inspected by those who are not even intending to buy a home!
If you are thinking of having Open Inspections on your home, I recommend that you read either ‘Real Estate Mistakes’ or ‘Don’t Sign Anything’ , both by Neil Jenman before you go any further. If you are thinking of selling, give me a call and I will send you one of these books free of charge.
