Today’s agents and sellers are often wary of the thought of open houses, and with good reason. A lackluster open house can create a lot of work for no more than a few low-grade leads. A successful open house, however, could generate the buzz you and your sellers need to generate interest far and wide.
What’s the secret to creating buzz-worthy open houses?
- Go all out.
Make sure all invitations, ads, flyers, postcards, signage, and online posts are top-notch. They will be the driving force for bringing in potential buyers.
- Get neighborly.
Start with select invites to neighbors only to build interest. Why neighbors? Neighbors talk. Keep showmanship in mind with your efforts, treating the event as you would the marketing of a new Broadway play. Be sure to incorporate beautiful invitations and signage, as well as provide hors d’oeuvres and drinks. This will be your initial open house before “opening night” – the open house you will hold for potential buyers – and is all about the buzz factor.
- Prepare for the main event.
The main event will be your weekend open house, about 2 weeks after your initial, buzz-inducing, neighbors-only event. Expect traffic of 100 or more for well-advertised open houses.
- Focus.
Though it is possible (and good!) to foster new listings, remember, you are hosting this event to get every possible buyer into your client’s open house – and hopefully sell it! Holding open houses just to get leads means you are not doing your job!
That’s a lot of work. How likely am I to get a buyer?
Though your buyer may come from somewhere other than your open house, that is unlikely. Most buyers will show up to at least one open house.
Ready to create a buzz? Don’t let your homes languish on the market. Turn your spotlight on open houses today!