Open house visitors are a mix of home shoppers, the curious and the neighbors. Sellers sometimes think neighbors are just snooping, and that is probably true in a few instances. But most people who take time to visit an open house in the neighborhood are either scouting homes for family and friends or thinking of selling their own home. Those scouts are the seller’s best friends. They live in the neighborhood, enjoy it, and want the people they care about to live nearby. Would you go see a house your best friend or sister says you’d love? Of course. Your family and friends know you and your tastes, that you want space for your dog to run, or an outdoor “room” for entertaining, or a workshop.

My marketing proposals for sellers always include a strong neighborhood component. In addition to leaving information about the home with neighbors, and flyers in a box attached to the sign post, I recommend a special open house “preview” for neighbors.

But these days, local marketing isn’t enough. More than 80 percent of home buyers say they began their search for a house online. Your Realtor must be prepared to cover all bases. The marketing plan is so important that we must agree on what I will do to promote your home before we sign the listing agreement.

That’s because I don’t accept listings unless the sellers and I agree on a marketing strategy. It isn’t enough to present a neighborhood market analysis, and select a price. If we can’t work together, you will waste your time and I will lose money because we can’t succeed unless we’re working as a team.

If you are ready to sell your home in the Inland Empire or eastern Los Angeles County, I would appreciate an opportunity to talk with you about your goals and how I could help your reach them. Please visit my website, www.ilajosephs.com or call me at (909) 261-3541.