Don’t let anyone tell you that an open house is a waste of time, especially in today’s red-hot housing market. Agents sell homes by getting buyers to imagine themselves living in the space.
What better way to stoke the coals of imagination than by showing off your seller’s home in flawless condition?
Open houses sell homes and generate leads. As an agent, they allow you to demonstrate your work ethic, communication skills, and real estate professionalism. Let’s take a look at how to blow buyers away with the perfect open house.
Research the Home You’re Selling
An often-overlooked necessity of staging a home is researching and prospecting before hosting an open house event. First, you should know everything about your seller’s home, including when it was built and the condition of all major components. You should be aware of any seller disclosures and have an idea of the utility costs or HOA fees associated with ownership. Also, you should drive through the neighborhood and know what local amenities are nearby. This way, you can prepare yourself to sell the location and not just the home.
You shouldn’t discuss with prospective buyers the area’s demographics, crime rates, and personal opinions. There are many ways to violate the Fair Housing Act and discriminate against other people, even when it’s unintentional. It’s the buyer’s and their agents’ responsibility to research neighborhood demographics and crime rates.
Knowing the home’s details and being hyperaware of the amenities are a huge plus if you want to sell the house quickly. Another unintended consequence of performing due diligence is the chance to impress future sellers and buyers with your professionalism and knowledge.
Let the Seller Know What to Expect and Prepare
Using a checklist to prepare before the open house is a fantastic way to nudge your seller in the right direction. While staging and cleaning should only take a few days, getting this information to your seller as soon as possible maximizes results. Don’t be afraid to give pointers, get your hands dirty, and help throughout the process.
Some difference-makers your seller will want to take care of before the open house are:
- Deep cleaning the home
- Removing any personal items such as photographs or memorabilia
- Decluttering the home and getting a head start on packing
- Storing excess furniture
- Minor repairs and maintenance such as drywall repairs and paint touch-ups
- Basic landscaping like mowing and weed whacking
- And anything else specific to your seller’s home
Give your seller a staging consultation beforehand and be available to answer questions.
Advertise the Open House
Creating awareness and, eventually, foot traffic is the primary goal. While there are many marketing mediums you can use, allocate your resources to the ones with a high success rate.
Use the Web
The internet is arguably the most effective way to generate hype about your upcoming open house event. There are many channels, each with the opportunity to grab the attention of a unique audience.
Start by using Facebook, the most popular social media site. Share the listing and date of the open house on your Facebook Stories, post beautiful photos with engaging descriptions, and even pay to advertise your posts if you want to boost visibility. Promote the listing using a Facebook event with all the relevant details and invite the community.
Pro-tip: If you post the listing photos and date on your Instagram Story, you can simultaneously share it on your Facebook Story.
Add an “Open House” to Your MLS Listing
Update the listing to show there’s an open house with the date and time of the event. Add specific details like included refreshments, raffle prizes, and other relevant information. Be sure to switch the status to “public” rather than “MLS only” or “broker only.” This will ensure the listing is visible on real estate listing websites.
Use Email
Now that your open house is on social media and your MLS listing, start to target prospective buyers. If you’ve generated a list of contacts in your CRM of people buying or selling homes, send an email with the Facebook event attached. Add details about the property and keep it brief.
Try Nextdoor
Finally, get on Nextdoor and promote your open house to the neighborhood. If you’ve never used Nextdoor before, it’s a social app designed for people within a small radius of each other to communicate—making it the perfect tool to promote an open house. Once again, post listing photos, advertise the home’s details and include your contact information to increase exposure.
Knock Doors
There’s no substitute for face-to-face communication even in a world of digital influence. What better way to put yourself out there than to meet the neighbors? Many agents will use this as an opportunity to prospect for new clients, asking, “Have you ever thought about selling your home before?” Most will be curious about the amount their neighbor’s home is selling for and how much they could get for their home.
Strike up a conversation and invite all to attend. Not only will you increase awareness and traffic, but you’ll subtly let the neighbors know you’re a hard-working real estate agent who happens to sell homes in the area.
The Open House
Surprisingly most of the work associated with open houses is done before setting your foot in the door. Still, when the day comes, you can make preparations to stoke interest, persuade buyers, and sell your services. Before the event, dress with confidence for the occasion in neutral, professional clothing.
Start by printing the client view paperwork—making sure to include your information and photo on the top and bottom of the page. Use a professional sign-in sheet or booklet to build your network. Well-received events include refreshments and lively music (don’t put them to sleep with the sounds of the ocean!). Before any potential buyers arrive, turn on all of the lights and let in as much natural light as possible. Place “Open house” signs throughout the neighborhood and near busy intersections and leave a breadcrumb trail for interested buyers.
Chat with each group of potential buyers, being mindful of their space as you don’t want to smother anybody. Don’t sit by the door; instead, stay in earshot, making your presence known by welcoming guests and answering questions. Speak with buyers about their preferences and how the open house fits those needs. Highlight the best qualities while being authentic and friendly. Buyers might not care for the home’s layout or aesthetics, but speaking with everybody who attends gives you a chance to promote yourself.
Professional agents listen to what buyers are searching for and use their market knowledge to match them with the perfect home. Always find out how people heard about your open house and jot down all feedback you hear, as this will highlight which marketing strategies are most effective.
The Bottom Line
Hosting an open house allows agents to sell homes quickly and promote their services. Conduct thorough research, prepare your seller and market the property using different platforms. Researching and staging before the open house will give you a better chance of closing the sale. Likewise, advertising on social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor supercharge awareness and foot traffic.
When the buyers start rolling in, don’t overthink it. Start authentic conversations and demonstrate your knowledge. The work will speak for itself. Happy hosting!
