Are Open Houses Passé?

According to the National Association of Realtors, 80% of home buyers last year started their search on the Internet, up from only 2% in 1995. But 42% of buyers also went to open houses as part of their search process.
For buyers, open houses offer an opportunity to see properties in person and get a feel for the market without the pressure of working with a real estate agent. For sellers, just the act of scheduling the first open house can jump-start an effort to get a property market-ready by ridding the house of clutter and attending to small repairs.
The Internet, and the opportunity it gives buyers to get detailed information about properties through virtual tours, and even detailed floor plans online, may make the open house less relevant.
Some contend that “real buyers” call and make appointments to see properties, and open houses usually attract only the curious and unserious.
With a home purchase being one of the most important investments in a person’s lifetime most people still want to get out there and kick the tires. They may do preliminary research on the internet but may want to interview possible Buyer/Seller’s agents, as well as physically walk through some properties and get the lay of the land. An open house gives the serious Buyer the opportunity to do all of the above.