What is a Broker’s Caravan?

Today I had my new listing, 1349 Norton, open on Broker’s Caravan. And it occurs to me that you might not know exactly what a Broker’s Open is.

Every week Realtors gather together to trade information on the new listings of the week. After the meeting we make these homes available for Realtors to view. It is one of the primary ways we develop superior product knowlege. I have visited dozens of homes nearly every week of my 25 year career. That’s a lot of houses.

The origins of this practice are quaint, given the technology of today. Back in the olden days, Realtors would gather at a local coffee shop and trade homemade flyers of their new listings.  Everyone snapped those papers into their three ring binders. Then, they would climb into their cars and literally form a caravan line, driving from house to house.

Today we have instant access to any new listing and we no longer have to wait for the weekly meeting. But we still gather, once a week, and we still tour all of the new listings. Seeing a home on the internet will never replace the knowledge one gets from physically visiting a home.

HOT TIP: If you are on the hunt for the “perfect” home, find out the day and time of the Realtor Caravan in your preferred area. Realtors will often place an “Open House” sign during Caravan time and you can see a great new listing, often before any public open house. Some Realtors will not let the public in on caravan day, so be prepared for a “no”, but most are happy to show you their new listing. If it is MY listing, I will welcome you with open arms!