05/20

With spring in full swing, open houses have been popping up around the neighborhood – and you’ve probably seen one or two as you’ve driven along your commute.

While open houses can be time consuming, they are a great way to garner potential clients and showcase your brand.

Here are some quick tips on how to throw a rewarding open house – for both you and your client!

Scheduling

Many open houses are scheduled on Sundays. While this time slot works perfectly, don’t be afraid to think outside the box to attract more attention on your listing.

Maybe your listing would fare better if it were held on a weekday during lunch hours or after work. You might have potential clients stopping by along their way home.

Marketing

How can you gather attention for the open house?

One of the best options is to use social media. Post on Instagram and Facebook about your upcoming open house – include the date, time, and location. Think about creating a Facebook Live Stream during the event; this way, viewers and those that follow your page are notified about your live stream and could stop by the open house after seeing your update.

Many real estate agents also suggest door knocking. Hold a special private open house for the neighbors of your listing – they can provide feedback on living in the area, which can help you sell the home. You can also create door hangers of your event, and hang them on the neighbor’s front door. Neighbors might also be able to get you referrals, if they know of anyone looking for a home.

Staging

Either the home is completely empty, or the sellers are still currently living within the home.

If the home is empty, you have some options. You could either hire a staging company, or you could create a virtual staging of the home. If you create a virtual staging, include the links on your social media pages, and bring your tablet to the open house to show potential buyers.

If the sellers are living in the home, give them some quick tips on tidying up and removing personal items– i.e., photographs, mail, pets, etc.

It’s also important that you set the mood for the event! Think about making cookies or warming up appetizers in the kitchen. Scents that are genuine will be seen as an extension of the home and create a warmer open house experience.

Providing Essentials

Don’t forget about that sign-in sheet! That will be vital to your potential lead list. Open Home Pro allows agents to have viewers of the open house sign in on a tablet and even asks custom questions. Their contact data can be transferred to your CRM for follow up after the event!

Reflect

After your event, it’s important that you discuss how it went with your client. Let them know of potential interest, but also be realistic. While an open house is a great way to showcase the listing and get more eyes on the home, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee a sale within the day or even week.

Don’t forget to congratulate yourself after hosting a successful open house! You’re one step closer to gaining more leads and sitting at the closing table.