In an effort to give back to the community, Realtor Bob Gordon frequently employs college inters from CU Boulder and Ohio Wesleyan University. This Summer (2018) Aidan Stout worked with Bob. Here is Aidan’s story of his first day on the job.
My First day with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices By Aidan Stout
I had a positive first experience as a real estate intern with Berkshire Hathaway. I had never prepared a 
property for an open house before. I was able to learn the process of setting up the home to be seen. And then had the first hand experience of placing signs around the neighborhood. Effective: we had a lot of neighbors show up to see the house.
People Start Arriving
While welcoming people into the home for their tour I gained valuable insight through experience into what it is like to be on the other side of an open house. While some open house goers were genuinely interested in the property, there were also those who looked to leave after a brief look around or after their desired standard for a new home was not met.
Sometimes, it was a challenge to connect with the latter type of visitor. My mentor – Realtor Bob Gordon had given me some new tactics. We asked open ended questions to persuade those rushing to leave to elaborate. I was able to generate some leads out of some otherwise lackluster options.
These open-ended questions, such as ‘what is your favorite house that you have seen so far?,’ led the ope house visitors to think more deeply about the properties they had seen.
At times, these individuals did not have a great understanding of what they wanted in a home and that allowed Mr. Gordon and myself to highlight the strengths of the particular property we were presenting. Or to discuss a community that would match the needs of the potential home-buyer even though they may have come in with different standards that they thought they needed to be seen met.
Trial By Fire
Although I was a bit out of my depth during this first day of open house, I learned some valuable skills in preparation and conversation that I will be able to build upon in the future to benefit the firm.
I am excited with the prospect of being able to pair potential home buyers with a home that can become the foundation for their new life in Boulder, CO.
Aidan Stout Visits Open Houses
After presenting my first open house, Bob advised me to visit a few of my own from the other side of the situation. This way, I would be able to learn what it feels like to go as a potential buyer and I would also learn what other presenters do to learn about me while I am there.
Worst Open House Ever
The worst open-house that I have experienced so far was when I visited a home located on MacArthur Drive in Boulder. The agent was kind and polite, however, upon entry to the home I was not provided with any information about the home and the entry area was poorly lit.
While the property was beautiful I was not implored by the agent or by his presentation to consider giving my information for a follow-up consultation. I left unsatisfied with having spent my time on the property.
The best open-house that I visited was also in Boulder on Judson. Upon entering, the agent politely introduced himself and told me that the kitchen had recently been re-furnished which made the property more desirable to me.
The entry space was the best part of the home on this occasion and the agent had provided cookies for any guests to take. After I had looked around the home for about ten minutes and the agent had finished a conversation with another guest, he took the time to ask what I valued in this home and/or other homes.
He was able to tell me all about the nearby schools, parks and even the most popular hiking trails. Before I left he gave me his card yet did not push for my information. This made my open house experience very positive and I will be able to take these proactive tactics into my next open house presentation.