Today's open houses have one goal: attracting buyers

Many view open houses as essential to help promote a listing, attract buyers and appease sellers, many of whom still consider open houses critical to a well-conceived marketing plan. “They give buyers an opportunity to see a lot of inventory and compare similarly-priced properties and neighborhoods,” says Barb St. Amant, of Harry Norman, Realtors in Atlanta.

But others are less certain they generate sales and consider them to be time consuming, costly and a way mostly to bring in nosy neighbors or those looking for decorating tips or free food. “Homes rarely sell as a result of an open house,” says salesman Bill Golden with RE/MAX Metro Atlanta. Yet, he adds, “you never know.”

But one thing is certain. Today's open houses are a different breed than those of yesteryear, due to buyers' increased use of the Internet, which has helped educate them in advance of looking about pricing and values. Following are tips for homeowners and real estate pros to make an open house as effective as possible for all involved:

Use the InternetBecause of the proliferation of listings, virtual tours and subsequent sale prices posted on the web, more potential buyers start their search by researching possibilities online rather than when they cross an open-house threshold. Doing so saves them time to weed out possibilities, says Ria Scoma, an associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Delmar, Calif. It's therefore critical for salespeople and brokers to have an online presence with realistically listed prices and information updated regularly, adds Karen Greco, an agent with Michael Saunders Co. in Sarasota, Fla.Look seriously and be preparedWith generally busier lives, buyers who visit open houses nowadays are more serious about making a purchase rather than just being voyeurs, says Al Becker, marketing director for Jack Conway and Co. Realtors in the Boston area. Greco agrees: #8220;People aren't coming for the cookies or coffee. They want information.#8221;It's also essential for the real estate salesperson hosting an open house to be well-informed. Linda Black, associate manager and branch training director of Coldwell Banker in Marina del Rey, Calif., provides a printout of comparable area open houses. Real estate marketer Becker urges salespeople to be prepared to field questions about the neighborhood and house rather than just baby-sit it or work on a laptop.Golden agrees, citing a list of do's and don'ts that can guide homeowners about what they should expect of anyone they hire:#376; Don't follow people around; it makes them uncomfortable and they tend to avoid staying. #376; Do share a few pertinent facts about the house. Tell visitors to walk around and follow up by asking if they have questions.#376; Do make sure the house and lawn are in the great shape.#376; Do make yourself aware of all neighborhood listings for comparison.Increase the odds with bigger bait and volumeThe odds of improving attendance and getting a contract can be improved with newer methods: #376; Interactive mingling. Create an interactive environment to help a space come alive. The Ritz-Carlton Residences at LA Life, a condo in downtown Los Angeles, has used pop-up art galleries, live-art installations and musical performances, says Elizabeth Lascaze, who helped orchestrate them. #376; Cohesive staging. Staging remains important to get a listing ready to view, but besides cleared countertops, a unified design theme and palette improve the odds of a sale, says Shanna Middleton, an agent in Cary, N.C.#376; Multiple open houses. To attract buyers and make it easier for them to look at more homes over a weekend, a group of colleagues, several area companies or real estate associations now organize neighborhood-, city- or statewide open houses. #8220;It draws more attention to the homes #8212; and hopefully more traffic,#8221; Golden says. This spring Jack Conway and Co. Realtors' 42 residential offices hosted more than 300 open houses in one weekend. Michael Saunders Co. has piggybacked its open houses onto ones organized by the Florida association.When the stars align, sales contracts may materialize #8212; and quickly. Becker attributes at least two sales contracts to his firm's recent open-house weekend. #8220;One sold five minutes after the open house began,#8221; he says.