the open house

I rarely host my own open houses.

Most homes don't need me to physically be there when I’m usually orchestrating other areas of the sale.

That's probably surprising to hear from a Realtor, but I've learned that great representation isn't about repeating the same checklist for every listing. It's about understanding what will actually move a particular home forward.

This one was different.

The owners were still living there, so it wasn't going to be perfectly staged. Inside, the finishes weren't what buyers would remember most.

The real story was outside the front door.

It sat in one of those neighborhoods where people slow down. Neighbors know one another. Front porches get used. The kind of place people hope they'll someday call home.

That told me something important.

This wasn't a listing that needed another online ad.

It needed people to experience what living here would actually feel like.

So we built the open house around the neighborhood instead of just the house.

We brought in a local coffee cart.

We invited neighbors to stop by.

We welcomed buyers to linger instead of rushing them through.

Everything about the experience was designed to help people imagine a Saturday morning there.

That's why I chose an open house.

Not because every listing gets one.

Because this listing deserved one.

Every property has a different story.

My job is figuring out how to tell it.