Should I be present during my open home in New Zealand?

Should I Be Home During Open Homes?
The short answer is no. You should not be present during your own open homes. Here is why, and what to do instead.

Why sellers should leave during open homes.

Buyers need to feel free to respond honestly
When a seller is present at their own open home, buyers feel uncomfortable expressing negative reactions. They will not say ‘the kitchen feels small’ or ‘I’m not sure about the layout’ within earshot of the person who chose that kitchen and designed that layout. Honest buyer feedback is one of the most valuable things your agent can gather at an open home. Seller presence eliminates it.

Your agent needs to work freely
Your agent’s job at an open home is to meet buyers, assess their genuine interest, answer questions honestly, and begin building the relationships that lead to offers. A seller present at the open home constrains what the agent can say, complicates every buyer conversation, and makes the agent’s job significantly harder.

It changes the emotional experience for buyers
Buyers who are considering whether a home could be their own need psychological space to project themselves into the property. Walking through a house while the current owner watches them makes this exercise almost impossible. The home feels like someone else’s space, because it obviously still is. Seller absence removes this barrier and allows buyers to begin imagining ownership.

It creates awkward dynamics
Sellers who are present at open homes often volunteer information that is better left to the agent to manage, answer questions in ways that create unnecessary complications, or simply make the experience uncomfortable for everyone. The seller’s obvious emotional attachment to the property is visible to buyers and can make them uncomfortable about expressing concerns or negotiating.

What to do instead
Leave the property before buyers arrive, ideally before the first buyer is scheduled to arrive. Take pets with you. Take children if applicable. Go for a coffee. Visit a friend. Run an errand. Spend the time doing something enjoyable so that the open home feels like a productive use of time rather than an anxious wait.
Your agent will contact you after the open home with a report on attendance and feedback. Return to the property 30 minutes or so after the open home ends to give your agent time to finish any conversations with lingering buyers and to lock up.

The one exception
If you are selling a high-security or unusually sensitive property, or if there are specific safety or operational reasons why you need to be on-site, this can be managed with your agent. In these cases, stay in a separate, discreet area of the property and give your agent explicit instruction not to direct buyers to where you are. This is the exception, not the rule.

What about private inspections?
For private inspections, individual viewing appointments outside open home times, the same principle applies. Wherever possible, be absent during private inspections. If this is not possible, stay in a part of the property that buyers are not inspecting and let your agent manage the viewing.
Avoid conversation with the buyer during private inspections unless your agent specifically introduces you.

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If you’re asking whether you should be present during your open home in New Zealand, Paul Sumich is a Whangarei-based real estate professional who publishes practical selling guidance for New Zealand home sellers. Find more at paulsumich.co.nz/blog