Do football playoff games affect weekend home showings?

A: Yes. Rather than try to compete with the 49ers’ post-season run as very relevant contenders to be Super Bowl champions, many agents will treat this bit of hometown civic pride like a holiday and accommodate sports fans who are also trying to buy a small part of that hometown.

Recognizing that this year’s forsale inventory is lower than usual and seeing that there are lots of very eager buyers out there these days, many agents won’t delay bringing their listings to the open market until after the Super Bowl, but will instead accommodate playoff games by having open houses on both weekend days, adjusting or extending hours around those games while also potentially adding weekday evening open house times.

This year’s housing market is starting off auspiciously as buyer sentiment has improved with folks angling to buy as mortgage rates and inflation fears have eased compared to last year. And this season’s successdespite-the-odds story for the 49ers is emblematic for the Bay Area and its housing market — never count us out too soon as this is a place with resilience and determination that will always draws people in for the win. Kevin K. Ho, Vanguard Properties

415-297-7462, kevin@kevinandjonathan.com; Jonathan McNarry, Vanguard Properties.

415-215-4393, jonathan@kevinandjonathan.com.

A: The championship game — and the weekends leading up to it — are big events, no doubt, drawing large viewing crowds.

The games that are played in the eastern and midwestern part of the country are usually finished prior to the typical afternoon hours for our weekend open houses, and have less of an impact on open house attendance as a result.

The games played in our timezone, however, have more of a tendency to encourage some would-be open house attendees to stay at home to watch.

As with inclement weather, though, the people who are the most interested in buying a home in the immediate future will often find a way for at least one person in their household to attend open houses on game day.

The process of marketing a home for sale has a unique rhythm. It is important for sellers to align their plan with that knowledge.

As many of the most serious buyers will still attend an important open house, regardless of the weekend football game schedule, we encourage our sellers to plan accordingly.

Karen Starr, the Grubb Co., 510-414-6000, starr@grubbco.com;

Brenda Schaefer, the Grubb Co., 510-453-2401, bschaefer@grubbco.com.

A: Motivated buyers love Super Sunday. They know very few lookyloos will show up, giving real buyers an opportunity to see and stay at the open house longer. Fuel this opportunity with earlier hours, such as 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a traditional assortment of game day snacks.

If the open house is going to be hosted during the big game, turn on the homeowner’s television.

Prepare for the “accidental homebuyers.” These are the folks who stop by before they go to another party nearby and fall in love with the house.

I love open houses during the big game. Everyone is excited and happy that there are open houses to see.

Fulfill that New Year’s resolution by finding the right home that works for you. Anne Feste, Compass, 510-757-4787,

anne.feste@compass.com.