“Brokers open” looms large at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville Nov. 29

An unprecedented number of Realtors will descend on the Heritage Hunt community in Gainesville on Nov. 29 to view about 14 homes on a “brokers open” preview tour starting at 11:30 a.m. in the active adult development.

Margaret Ireland, principal broker at Weichert Realtors in Gainesville. said in her 28 years in the real estate business, she has “never seen anything like” this kind of response.

According to Ireland, about two weeks ago Christine Schaefer, who has a Heritage Hunt listing, scheduled a Nov. 29 broker’s open for the Realtors in her office. She said she would serve breakfast and called one or two friends.

Since then, according to Ireland, other Realtors, from “just about every company in the area” have placed their listings on the Nov. 29 “brokers open” and about 700 Realtors have RSVP’d.

Carolyn Hurley of Zip Realty in Vienna is coordinating the RSVPs and the information packets that visiting Realtors will pick up at the clubhouse Tuesday.

Over the years, listing agents have created events and incentives to get other Realtors to take time to look at their listings and possibly sell them. Food is a big enticement. A sampling of what’s to be served at listings on the Nov. 29 preview are dessert and coffee; Jim’s Famous Chili; appetizers; quiche, fruit, coffee and juice; Bad to the Bone BBQ; and pizza, Italian salad and biscotti.

There’s more. At some of the preview homes on the tour other enticements will go to some lucky winner such as cash, two rounds of golf from the pro shop, gas cards, nail salon & spa visit and gift cards for Wegmans, Starbucks or AMC Theatres.

Tuesday’s event will be followed by a community open house for prospective buyers on Sunday, Dec. 4, from 1 to 4 p.m. Based on a draft flyer examined Monday, the 14 homes for sale on the Heritage Hunt brokers open ranged in price from $198,500 to $725,000.