Should open houses still be a thing? Apparently, not all real estate agents answer that question with a resounding “Yes!” And for quite a few, the answer is more like, “Sure, maybe, but here’s what I don’t love about them…”
That sentence ends with a variety of pet peeves, any one of which is familiar to most agents who’ve been in the business long enough.
So, we had to ask, in a recent BAM Instagram post:
“What’s your biggest pet peeve at open houses?”
And the floodgates opened. Agents quickly populated the comments with their biggest peeves, with more than one commenter responding with some variation on “being there.”
Take a look for yourself.
People behaving badly—and other open house adventures
Agents had plenty to say about their biggest pet peeves related to open houses, whether they were hosting one themselves or attending one with or for a buyer client.
One of the recurring themes was refreshments, and commenters approached it from both sides, with some disappointed by the lack of interest in the food and drinks they paid for and others turned off by disappointing snack and beverage options—or the complete lack thereof.
Plenty of agents in the comments remarked on thoughtless or inconsiderate behavior by open house visitors, including other agents. Some of the biggest offenders include:
- People letting their kids run loose through the home
- People visiting just to shit-talk the home
- People wearing their agent-provided shoe wraps outside—and then walking back in
Some commenters remarked on how visitors—whether potential buyers, curious neighbors, or other agents—monopolize their time and attention when they have no interest in buying the home. Agents have even shown up asking questions when the answers were on the MLS sheet they were holding in their hands the entire time.
Also among the biggest peeves:
- People asking to use the bathroom
- Visitors asking how much the seller paid for their home—or why they were selling
- Sellers talking to the agent during the open house via their Ring camera
We’d love to see your take in the comments.
