Open houses are a great way to get the house that you are selling out on the market and let it be known. Of course, open houses have their disadvantages too. One of the biggest advantages is that serious buyers will visit an open house within 3 months of buying and use it in research. Open houses also draw in a number of people who aren't planning to make a purchase soon. So generally, the open house doesn't really do the job it is supposed to do, which is sell the house. But that aside, buyers who went and didn't make a purchase can give feedback to others who are interested in buying a home. They provide reasonable information such as pricing and the layout of the home. Weekends are generally a good time to hold open houses because people who work during the week can take this time to go view the property. Not all listings have open houses, agents will sometimes leave informational flyers in the front yard so that people interested may contact the agent to schedule a showing. Open houses may not always bring in a buyer, but people generally go and provide feedback which doesn't hurt. And it just might attract a buyer as well.

Blog inspired by article written by Megan Mollmann featured in aol.com and can be seen here: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/08/09/open-house-when-its-worth-it-or-not/