Cool Ways to Boost Your Next Open House

Written by Chantell Cordova

Open houses are still one of the best tools you can use to boost your business. Hosting an open house allows you to meet people face-to-face. It’s a terrific form of in-person advertising and bonus you have the clients coming to see you. Open houses should be casual, branded and unique. Here are a few tips aimed to set your next open house apart from the rest.

PREPPING

• Creative Marketing. Use the upcoming event as an opportunity to introduce yourself to the neighbors and invite them to a “sneak-peak” an hour before the public open house.
  • Use Stanford Mortgage SPA Invitation, which is more like a party invite then the normal open house flyer.
  • Door knock the invite 10-10-20 around the open house creating exclusivity and provides added interest.
    • Reach out to a Stanford Mortgage Advisor www.StanfordLoans.com

• Host a “themed” open house. Make it fun. Is there a holiday coming up? If build upon it. Even the quirky ones like National Large Dog Day can give you that extra something. It also gives you something fun to break the ice; do you have a dog that would love this house? You can pass out single wrapped dog biscuit – very cost-effective.
  • National Day Calendar http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/september/

• Send out invites to everyone. The more people who walk through your open house, the more buzz. Traffic creates perceived scarcity, whether the visitors are looky-loos or not.
  • Add an Open House notice to your MLS preferably by Wednesday and it will syndicate to Realtor.com within 24 hours.
  • Add your Open House to Craigslist, this will have to be done manually.

• Facebook.  There are various ways you can use Facebook to really get the word out about your open house.
  • Simply share your open house flyer to Samantha Raggio our social media specialist and she will post to various company pages.
  • Use an Ad or Post Boosting these allow you to targeted at buyers in your area and promotes your open house. When correctly done, it has a huge impact on your business.

Need help? Contact Samantha.Raggio@SelectGroupRe.com our Social Media Specialist.

• Signage. Make sure your listing has ample signage at appropriate locations. Use Google Maps to see all of the high traffic streets and make sure your signs are clearly visible to a passerby going 25 miles an hour. (If you are putting a sign in someone’s yard, be sure to ask permission.)

DURING

• Be Knowledgeable. Know the answer to every question possible from the interior to neighborhood to the community. You want every guest believing that you are the one to hire.
• Handouts. Have print outs that highlight the home’s features, mortgage financing & payment options, community high points, and your agent intro/bio sheet etc.
  • Invest in a few clear frames, plastic, self-standing frames to display the important flyers upright on counter-tops. Visually branding the event.

• Sign-in Requirement. If you are uneasy about asking visitors to sign in, just tell them that, for security reasons, the homeowner requires that you have the correct information for anyone walking through their house when they aren’t home.
  • Sign-in sheets are available on www.Xpressdocs.com/TheSelectGroup under open house material tab.

• Safety First. Always remember to take safety steps!
  • Keep your cell phone in your hand or pocket at all times.
  • Make sure your car isn’t blocked in, and is parked farther down the street for easy access.
  • Stay on the main level of the house – especially if you’re alone at the open house.
  • Keep the doors locked before and after the open house.

• Kids Area. Set aside an area for the kiddos, bring coloring books and crayons. You can always go the extra mile by printing out a black and white house coloring pages with your logo and contact information. Later, when the family is at home, they may pull out their child’s masterpiece to contact you.
  • Check out these coloring pages here. You can use these pages for a client contest, or you can personalize a coloring page on www.Xpressdocs.com/theselectgroup under the “Open House Material” Tab.

AFTER

• Follow-up is key.  Capitalize on those contacts you’ve just made by sending out a personal note or email to every person on the list, and to make that personal connection.
  • Handwritten thank-you cards. Bring a stack along with stamped envelopes to the open house. When people drop by, write their information on the envelope, after they leave write a quick note, include your business card and mail right after the open house.
    • Make sure to always include a clear Call To Action “If you have any questions, please feel free to call, text or email me. I am here for all your real estate needs.” – John Goodagent
  • Be sure to add the attendees into your Connect SOI to keep in touch and begin developing Top of Mind Awareness.