Shannon Quagliata is an award-winning real estate agent and founder and CEO of PRE Open House. Here, Quagliata discusses the one-stop, one-click Web site and mobile app for both real estate agents and home buyers to find, schedule, save and map open houses.
How did the idea for PRE Open House come to be?
PRE Open House came about approximately two years ago when I was sitting at an open house in North Scottsdale in a gated community and was having home buyers come in frustrated because they had no way of getting the gate code. I had become a multi-million-dollar producer in North Scottsdale by holding open houses every weekend, as I didn’t have money to pay the big real estate platforms for leads. As I began to hold more open houses over the years, I found a big disconnect in the way I could advertise my open houses and the way in which consumers could find them. There was also no direct way that the home buyer could communicate directly with the open house agent. Current platforms don’t allow agents to post the name of the agent holding the open house, nor do they give you a direct link to this agent, which leaves consumers confused and frustrated when trying to just get a gate code, directions or even special showing times due to a schedule conflict.
How will the app change the way one buys or sells a home locally?
PRE Open House is now creating a way for home buyers to passively search for homes. Our patent-pending software allows consumers to check in to open houses now without having to share their personal contact information, but still have a direct line of communication with the listing agent and/or open house agent. It becomes a win-win for both consumers and realtors. Realtors can keep track of how many people have attended their open house, can communicate directly with the consumer to answer any questions they may have, or can share gate code information all instantly from their mobile device in real time. Consumers can now visit open houses at leisure, meet and interview potential real estate agents, and not have to share their personal information. Agents can now also hold open houses for coming soon/PRE-market properties as well, which will increase the number of home buyers who actually see a house and can give feedback on the house prior to the house going on the market. This can serve as valuable feedback to the seller prior to home going on the market, and can directly affect days on market which can result in a higher purchase price. PRE Open House is also the only site that will have all open houses in one easy to use Web site and mobile app, making it easier to find and attend open houses without having to drive around and rely on signs.
How big of a role does the open house play in the real estate market?
I believe holding open houses is the best way to get as many home buyers through the home as possible in a short period of time. ‘Holding an open house is an efficient way for sellers to get more eyes on a home, and a bigger pool of potential buyers can help lead to a higher ultimate sale price,’ says Chief Redfin Economist Daryl Fairweather. ‘In many areas, homes that are already primed for competition tend to be the ones with open houses because the listing agent knows it will attract a lot of attention and wants to set up a convenient way for multiple potential buyers to pop in at once instead of making several appointments for private tours.’ ‘Open houses can also help homes sell faster,” says Redfin gent Jessica Johnson. ‘When homebuyers see other people at an open house, it can motivate them to place an offer more quickly than they otherwise would.’
Is this recommended for all buyers and sellers or are there exceptions?
This site is for both buyers and sellers. For sellers, this is a great way for them to know about open houses in their neighborhood ahead of time, so they can plan to go and see what homes are selling for in their neighborhood and how their home compares. This is also a great way for sellers who are wanting to sell to interview potential realtors to list their home. For buyers, this is a great way for them to begin their home search without a realtor. They can attend open houses at their leisure and interview agents along the way, and possibly find an agent they would like to hire at one of the open houses they visit.
What has the response been from local real estate agents?
Real estate agents are very excited about finally having one place that they can advertise their open houses, and in which their open houses are exclusively branded to them. Having an instant line of communication between the open house agent and home buyer, creates a better experience for consumers when they are trying to find and attend open houses. This will encourage more buyers to attend open houses without feeling the pressure of having to share their personal information with the open house agent, but will allow the agent to keep track of everyone who does come in to the open house.
What are you most excited about as this app hits the market?
I am truly excited that consumers will finally have a real estate platform that not only provides them an easy to use platform in which to find all open houses, but also provides transparency to buyers knowing exactly who they are communicating with. I believe open houses are the best way to get a feel for a community, the layout of a home, the feeling of a home and a realistic idea of what is available in a buyer’s price range. This will allow more buyers to feel more comfortable attending open houses, which I believe, will encourage more agents to hold them.
The free mobile app is available for download on Android and iOS devices.
