Did you spend a lot of time planning an Open House only to see five or fewer people? Are you a victim of having a lot of people attend your Open House and not being able to turn one into a sale? Do you have any questions about the reason your Open House was unsuccessful?
Agents now find open houses more valuable than ever. The National Association of Realtors Home Buyers and Sellers reported in 2015 that 48% of home purchasers cite the Open House for their most important sources of information. This is because many people are experiencing the Open House for the first time. This is also an opportunity to hear what others think about the home, which can be a significant influence on a person’s perception of that particular house.
Cindy Bishop, Cindy Bishop Worldwide. My success as a real estate agent is a testament to my over 28-year experience. I also pride myself on being an experienced trainer and coach. These open house tips are a result of my personal experience and those I have taught and coached. You can use them to your advantage, and you can contact me for any additional questions!
These are some of the top ways you can make your Open House a success:
1. It’s simple to locate unique properties.
While we may not always be able to control the property we show, when we do have some say in selecting the house where we will hold an Open House, we need to look at properties that meet these criteria:
* A direct route to them with very few turns. Street names and signs can easily be identified.
* Properties that are well kept, and visually pleasing from both the inside and outside.
* A home with some kind of “conversation starter”. This unique feature is more than just having four walls. You might find an infinity pool or walk-in closet.
* Your signage should be larger than life. To make your signs more noticeable on event day, something is needed. You can use balloons, streamers or pinwheels. Try to be imaginative, and make sure you find something professional that grabs the attention of people.
2. Open House events can be held at the perfect time.
* Don’t have your event after dark. Your event should end by sunset
* Consider having a separate open house preview, for neighbors only. Then, a later open-to the public event. This preview event makes neighbors feel important and gives them the opportunity to suggest who they think should be living in their area. They can also start to think of family and friends nearby and become part of the sales team for you and your advertisement force for your actual open house.
* If you do have an event only for neighbors, consider taking out a camera and interviewing and recording them talking about the neighborhood. You can use this information to add it to your social media or on repeat during Open House. Imagine how effective it would be to get a testimonial recorded from a mom in your area regarding the school district.
* Don’t pick a date and time where people are not available, for example, the majority of people work Monday through Fridays from 8am-5pm, and may not be free on a Wednesday at 3pm. People are not usually available on holidays weekends.
3. Open House events should have a positive vibe. The more excitement, the better.
* Entertaining music is a possibility, but be careful that it’s not distracting and that you avoid certain genres or language that may be offensive. The use of music can be seen as an excuse for noises, or to hide mechanical malfunctions. Be sensitive to the way music is perceived.
* Snacks are a must! You can also try wine, cheese or beer with wings. It is important that the food you choose must be appropriate for your neighborhood. Hamburgers and fried chicken aren’t suitable for listing a million dollar home. However, champagne and caviar may not be appropriate for first-time homeowners. Be careful who you serve alcohol to. This is a great opportunity to bring someone to your open house to assist you. It is not a good idea to allow minors to have alcoholic beverages at the open house. Comfort food can be a welcome addition to any setting. It makes visitors feel at ease and more comfortable. Be careful to not allow any bad smells or odors into your home.
* Consider leaving a hand-written sign to “Help Yourself”Along with the list of ingredients so visitors can feel confident eating the snack provided.
* Consider having a slideshow or interactive photo board featuring the home at various times of year. It’s possible to display the home in summer, for instance, when the gardens and pool have frozen.
* Consider making a table, desk, or station with local school information, neighborhood information, etc. It is important to have as many resources available as possible. It is important that the guest stops at the station, looks over the materials and asks as many questions as they can.
* Make sure to engage each and every visitor so they have are interested, and want to stay longer.
4. Advertise your Open House but don’t stop there. Create buzz about it.
* Create an event on social media, and share it with all of your friends and clients, as well as everyone on your e-mail lists. The amazing thing about Facebook ads is that you can reach a lot of people within your local area through them. It’s also extremely cost-efficient for the job it does. Filter your Facebook ads to only include people from specific zip codes. Other realtors or rival brokerages may also be un-invited or excluded.
* Flyer surrounding businesses and schools in the area of the listing. As many doors possible.
* Visit neighbors’ homes with nice newsletters or invitations. If the invitation is nicer, they are more likely to visit and see the fun. Agents even recommend using wedding-style invitations.
* Don’t just advertise on one channel. Facebook events, Twitter or your own website can all be considered. NextDoor.com and Craigslist are just a few examples. Follow all applicable advertising and marketing laws, as determined by the brokerage or state laws.
5. Logistics, Logistics and Logistics
* Make sure everything is in order so that you look your best, and the house looks it’s best. It should have new light bulbs, be free of dust, and the temperature controlled. Agents have been known to bake cookies before big events so the house smells and feels more homey.
* Consider removing clutter, which makes navigating the home difficult. It is possible to hide and remove any offensive or distressing art or other items that may make someone feel uneasy. Be careful, though! Don’t throw clutter in your cabinets or closets. These days people care more about storage and will assume there isn’t enough storage.
* Use natural light to your advantage. You should make sure that all windows are opened and curtains drawn. All lights should be on regardless of their location. It is not a good idea to make someone fearful of going into the basement or think they can’t enter the garage.
* Make sure the home owner is not present. You don’t want them to have an emotional breakdown due to incorrectly answering questions or going back in time. The property owner can make it difficult for people to freely roam the grounds without being a watchful eye.
* With that said, valuables, if left in the home, should be secured. It is essential that you know the location and contents of your valuables and create an inventory. You should insist on the removal of these items by the owner before any open houses. That way, you won’t be held responsible for their damage or theft.
* Use your team. Open Houses are too small if you go alone. You may be able to miss someone who comes in and asks for help. You can talk with and engage your guests by having one person do signage, the guest book and food detail.
* Have a loan agent or lender on hand, in order to answer any potential questions the home buyer may have about the process.
* Make sure you have the necessary paperwork required. Although you can download the MLS, it is strongly recommended that you create a flyer or booklet which are more specific to your property and yourself.
* Make sure you know the neighborhood, and have done comparisons of values in the neighborhood. It can be a loss of credibility to answer a question from someone unfamiliar with the area. I think you would rather appear like a professional!
6. Give it a personal touch
* It’s not enough to have each visitor sign in. Note down every conversation you have with each visitor. It is a good idea to keep a journal or tablet hidden in a drawer of your kitchen. You will be able to make detailed notes about each person as they speak.
* You should remember one thing about each visitor and bring it up at some point during their tour of the home. “Jerry, wouldn’t this be an amazing place to store your golf clubs?”
* Don’t try to sell anyone. They’ll come to you and ask for the information that they require, as soon as they are ready. It is an opportunity to build relationships. The goal should not be to impress anyone, but make the home memorable.
7. Continue Following
* Add all visitors to your e-mail list, as well as your newsletter list. AM Open House can be a useful app to help you stay on top of things.
* For those visitors who were seriously interested in the home or in you, handwritten cards should be sent out thanking them for coming, and encouraging their business in the future. You can use the handy notebook to make notes for each card. The more personal the card, they are more likely to remember it. Keep your contact information in each card.
* Some agents even send videos. Send a YouTube or Facebook video about the open house. A greeting card video could be sent to show your appreciation. “thanks for attending!”BombBomb is an excellent resource for such video.
* Text message is a wonderful way to contact people, and has a 95% open rate. Text messages are less intrusive than phone calls, and people might avoid answering the call if they do not know who is calling. You can send a specific message to the recipient with thank you and the address of the property.
* Send a follow up to the follow up starting with the subject header “I forgot to tell you… “If they are not satisfied with the property you have shown them, you can point out any other features that may be available.
A coach is the best person to help you organize an Open House. They can offer strategies that are unique for your clients and community. This is not only more efficient, but it also means that a coach will follow up with clients to ensure everything runs smoothly and ask questions if necessary.
Cindy Bishop serves as the Managing Director at Cindy Bishop Worldwide. Cindy Bishop Worldwide offers real estate education and training that focuses on Business Enhancement, Growth, and Training for Real Estate Professionals. Cindy is an active coach who specializes in the development of real estate agents’ businesses.