Are you on the hunt for your dream home?

Maybe you’ve been scrolling through countless online listings – picturing yourself sipping coffee on the deck and having friends over for movie night in your huge open living room.

Now, you’re ready to take home shopping to the next level and you’re wondering, “Can I go to open houses without a real estate agent?”

Yes, you can attend open houses without a real estate agent. Most open houses are completely open to the public. You can walk right in and view the entire home and property. There are a few instances when an open house is not actually open to the public. This will be stated in the announcement online. For instance, it might say, ‘Open House for Private Viewing Only.’ or ‘Broker Open House’. In these cases, you couldn’t attend the open house.

If this is the case or you don’t see an open house scheduled – and you really want to check out a house – the best thing to do is reach out to your real estate agent and let them know.

He or she will most likely be able to schedule a private showing for you at the house.

And if you don’t have a real estate agent yet, no worries. Read our article all about how to find the right real estate agent for you.

In the meantime, now that you know you can attend an open house on your own, you might still be unsure as to whether you want to or not.

This article will explore all the pros and cons of attending an open house with and without a real estate agent.

Here are 6 Pros to Going to Open Houses on Your Own

1 You’re Not Tied to Someone Else’s Schedule

Picture this scenario: It’s finally Saturday morning after a long workweek. No more schedules and deadlines. No more work projects that have to get done. No more meetings, etc.

You just want to chill out and do what you want to do – which includes hitting some fun open houses. Like a real estate treasure hunt, you’re hoping to discover a ‘diamond in the rough’.

Or at least start diving in and getting to know the housing market up close and in person.

When you attend open houses without a real estate, you don’t have to plan them around someone else’s schedule. You can just go when you want.

There’s no coordinating the timing just right with them. There’s no waiting for them if they’ll be busy that morning with another client. You’re free to go when it’s the most convenient for you.

2 You Can Explore the Home at Your Own Pace

When you visit an open house without an agent, you have the freedom to explore the property at your own pace.

You can open every closet, inspect the kitchen appliances, and envision yourself living in the space without any time pressure.

Especially if you really like the house.

“There’s something almost mystical about connecting with a house that you are struck by.”

It might be that the home is 100 years old and you’re imagining all the history and memories that have taken place there.

It could be the home’s charm, its layout, or its size that’s catching your eye.

When you’re there solo, you’re able to take your time and take it all in. You can wander through the rooms, soaking in the ambiance, and maybe even mentally placing your furniture.

3 You Can Get Some Good Ideas

On the same subject as #2 above, when it’s just you at the open house, you can spend extra time there if you want.

Open houses are actually great places to get ideas for when you do land your own home.

Some homes are decorated beautifully. And just in your style.

The homeowners might have done some impressive renovations through the years that are catching your eye and giving you ideas.

There’s nothing like seeing things first-hand. As opposed to only seeing pictures online.

Right after each open house is the best time to fill it in.

We often think we’re going to remember some details about a home. But after seeing a bunch of open houses, it’s easy to get them mixed up at the end of the day.

“Was it house #2 or house #3 that had the big closets we liked?” is a typical question that could come up later.

This especially comes in handy when you’re ready to start placing offers.

You can go ahead and write any decorating and renovating ideas you see in the notebook as well.

4 You Can Leave the Open House Anytime You Want

Have you experienced this yet? The listing pictures of a home online look gorgeous. So promising.

All the rooms look updated and spacious. There could be fresh paint on the walls. The rooms could look nice and bright and well lit. The kitchen is huge. The appliances are glistening.

You cannot wait to get to the open house. This just might be ‘the one’!

Then, you pull up to the open house, walk through the door and start looking around – then wonder if this is even the same house as in the pictures.

“Are we at the right house???”

You can tell it is the same house. But, you can also see that the pictures online were not representative of what the house actually looks like. All you see are huge issues. And the house clearly isn’t for you.

If you’re attending the open house on your own, you can walk right out without wasting any time going through the entire home.

If you’re with an agent, it could be awkward to just turn around and head for your car.

5 You Can Shop for a Real Estate Agent at the Same Time

You might not have an agent at this point in your home shopping journey.

So attending open houses could be a good way to start checking out real estate agents and seeing the qualities you like in them.

You might even find that a listing agent who’s hosting the open house checks off all of your boxes and you’d like to work with them.

Just make sure that you don’t use that same agent to place an offer on that home. This is called a dual agent. And although they are common in many states, I don’t recommend them in general.

A real estate agent’s main duty is to do their best to represent their client.

Whether it’s getting a home seller the most money they can for their home. Or helping a home buyer win a home at the lowest possible price they can.

If one agent is representing both the seller and the buyer in the same transaction at the same time, who are they most loyal to? It might not be you – the buyer.

6 You Can Cover a Lot of Ground

Some real estate agents put their running shoes on and are ready to attend as many open houses as their client would like to see that day.

Others might feel like just a few is enough for them.

So if there are a lot of open houses on a given Saturday, going to them on your own means you’re not tied to a real estate agent who might not want to or be able to see them all.

Your schedule is free that day. It’s not tied to anyone.

You might even come upon an open house that wasn’t announced online. If you’re on your own, you can pop right in without worrying about messing up someone else’s itinerary.

7 You Can Ask Questions Directly to the Listing Agent

One of the roles of a real estate agent is getting all of your questions answered. This is a good thing.

At open houses, this usually means he or she will be asking your questions to the listing agent for you – while you stand back and listen. Or you could be in another part of the house while that conversation is going on. That’s all fine.

But when you’re at the open house alone, you have no choice but to engage directly with the listing agent and ask the questions yourself. You’re playing a more active role.

Like anything, when you do play a more active role, it usually means you learn more. You’re immersing yourself more in the process.

Having this one-on-one conversation yourself with the listing agent could give you a few advantages.

One is that more questions you hadn’t thought of could pop into your mind that you can get answered right then.

Another is that you might actually have an advantage when it comes to negotiating for the house, if you decide to place an offer. Having that direct conversation could give you a better sense of the seller’s motivation for selling it, for instance.

You might pick up innuendos in your conversation that you wouldn’t get if your agent just relayed the answers to you.

Now that you know the positive side to heading to open houses without a real estate agent, here are 4 downsides.

4 Cons to Going to Open Houses Without a Real Estate Agent

1 No Guidance

When you attend open houses with a real estate agent, he or she can guide you through every home in the house. Every open house can be a real learning experience this way.

They’ll not only teach you about aspects of the house as you go through it. Things like,’those are newer windows’ and ‘that hvac system is considered top of the line’. . . .

But, they’ll also educate you in the world of real estate as well. They’ll give their informed opinions on whether or not a home might be overpriced, for instance. Or why it could be sitting on the market for so long.

This is all information that will be handed to you as you walk alongside your real estate agent at open houses.

Sure, you can ask the listing agent who’s hosting the open house these questions as well. But, it’s still not the same as having your own personal real estate guide with you.

2 No Insider’s Insight on the Local Housing Market

Similar to #1 above, a real estate agent experience and industry knowledge – but they also usually have the inside scoop on what’s happening right in your local area.

It’s their job to know what’s going on with houses there.

Real estate agents in the area need to communicate with each other as well.

Your real estate agent might even have a good rapport established with the listing agent – which could give you a leg up in negotiations.

So, going solo to open houses means you could miss out on this insight.

3 You Could Miss Out on a Good House

Like this article is all about, it is perfectly fine to go to open houses without a real estate agent.

Especially if you’re in the very early stages of homebuying and just want to start seeing what the market is like.

You could be shopping around for the right agent at the same time, for instance.

But keep in mind that if you do fall in love with a house and you don’t have an agent lined up to help you, you’ll most likely miss out on placing an offer on it.

That’s because you really shouldn’t buy a house without using a real estate agent. It’s too intricate and expensive a transaction to go it alone.

So, when you are ready to start seriously looking for your home, make sure you have an agent on board at that point.

4 Some Open Houses Require a Realtor

Sometimes, a listing agent only holds private showings during open house hours.

That means it’s not open to the public, but open to real estate agents and their clients privately at scheduled times. These time slots are usually for fifteen minutes.

So not having an agent means you might not get to see a house you like.

Or if you do go to an open house alone and you really like the house, the next time you can get in to see it before deciding to place an offer would most likely be a private showing.

That would have to be set up with your real estate agent.

So to wrap this article up – sure, get out there and attend open houses alone.

The ideal situation is to head to them alone while you’re also ‘shopping’ for the right agent.

Treat each open house like a learning experience. Study a home’s features, construction, bones, decor, etc.

Ask questions of the listing agent there.

Watch other home shoppers in the house. See what is catching their eyes. Are there issues with the house they are noticing? Are there exciting features?

When you’re hunting for a home, part of your job is being an investigator. Have fun in that role when you’re at open houses!

If you happen to be in the kitchen while the listing agent is answering someone else’s questions, stick around and listen in yourself.

These are all ways you’ll be gaining valuable insights into the whole homebuying experience.

Above all – have fun!

So, now that you know all the ins and outs of going to open houses alone vs. with a real estate agent, what other questions can I answer for you?

Email me anytime at paula@michaelandsullivan.com

Or call me at 774-287-5852