Go to open houses. At the start of the buying process, go to as many open houses in as many neighborhoods as you can. As you approach the home, get a feel for the neighborhood. Watch the people. How well kept are front yards? What kinds of cars do neighbors own? How quiet is the neighborhood? How far is it to the grocery store, and do you like the look and feel of the store? Are there parks nearby? Are there signs up about future development or road repair? Are there many homes for sale?

Once inside the open house, feel free to ask the agent questions. If there are other people looking around the house, ask them questions too. How long have they been looking in this neighborhood? Why do they like it here? There is a good chance that the people are not buyers at all, but are neighbors who will be happy to give you their biased opinions.

Many buyers look at open houses without their agent because they want to roam from open house to open house on a weekend, treating it as a leisurely outing rather than a house hunt. There is nothing wrong with that. Enjoy the journey! Be mindful, however, of “procuring cause.” If you are contractually obligated to your agent through a buyer broker agreement, yet buy a home that was first presented to you by the agent holding the open house, that agent could claim that she is the “procuring cause” of the sale and thus is entitled to your agent’s commission. Procuring cause occurs when the agent holding the open house is the person who begins an unbroken chain of events that results in you buying the home. To help prevent this, include your agent’s name on sign in sheets and leave to agent’s card, with your name written on it, at the open house.

Agents who sit open houses, whether at their own listing or another agent’s listing, are trying to get new business. The sign-in sheet, while helpful to keep a record of who entered the home should there be a theft discovered, is also used to compile a list of buyers whom the agent can contact to get new business. Adding the name and contact information of your agent next to your name on the sign-in sheet prevents both a claim of procuring cause and a follow up sales call.

Happy house hunting!