Tips for a Successful Open House
If you’re a real estate agent or broker, you know that most sellers expect you to host an open house as part of your real estate marketing plan for their home. Homes with open houses sell, on average, for over $9,000 more and spend one week less on the market than homes without open houses.
At the same time, you know that an open house does more for you than just sell a single property. Open houses are opportunities for you to meet people who may be looking to buy a new home, or sell theirs – now or in the future.
You might never get the opportunity to meet these potential new clients if you don’t hone your real estate advertising techniques and market your open houses the right way.
Nextdoor Neighborhood Sponsor and top-performing Illinois agent Chase Michels of The Michels Group shared some creative tips for a memorable open house:
- Post high-res photos on social media of listings for which you plan to host open houses and advertise them as “Just listed”. This helps generate interest for the listing in the weeks leading up to your open house. Make sure both your bio and your post include a single property lead-capture link so that you can follow up with interested buyers.
- Pay to promote your post on social media three to seven days before your open house. Target your post to people in the area surrounding your listing. Update the caption on your initial post to include the open house details, and don’t forget to share the post to your Story.
- Submit your open house details to your MLS as early as possible. This allows time for the information to be distributed to all websites and syndications.
- Use Nextdoor to reach neighbors. As a Neighborhood Sponsor, you can promote your open house to the neighbors who live near your listing. Ask if they know anyone who is interested in moving into the area – after all, a home for sale is an opportunity for them to choose their neighbors!
- Hand out real estate flyers and meet neighbors in-person. Chase walks to the nearest homes (if homes are close together, try to get to 50!) and hands out flyers for two hours before the open house begins to introduce himself. Invite neighbors to attend the open house!
Once the open house begins, Chase has more tips to make sure it’s a success:
- Have flyers, brochures, and business cards ready to give to potential clients, and an open house sign in sheet to capture contact information for follow up, but don't force people to sign in. Keep an iPad or laptop on hand in case you need to look up any information.
- Brush up on your local expertise – make sure you know where local conveniences are, like the grocery store, and which school district the property feeds into. Showcasing yourself as the neighborhood’s local expert helps build your credibility and trust from home buyers new to the area.
- Turn on the TV for some background noise so that people are comfortable talking among themselves without feeling like they're being listened to.
- If you’re promoting a high-end home, consider hosting a giveaway and mention it in all of your online promotions. The giveaway should relate to something in the area – for example, tickets to a sporting event, a gift card for a local restaurant, or a local experience.
- For a very upscale home, consider doing something unique, like having a sports car rental in the driveway or hiring a pianist to play during the open house.
