My 10 Best Tips for a Successful Open House
Hi there, I was just thinking it's been forever since I’ve done a post. I’ve been in a little bit of an unmotivated funk and being creative hasn’t been on my to do list. If you’re a Realtor or any sort of business owner you probably know what I’m talking about. ... soooooo I took a couple weeks off for a little “me time” and I am back and ready to roll.
Any who….(that's my new word) when I was new in real estate open houses were my #1 way of getting business and I feel like I wish I would have been guided more to be myself. I received a lot of “so so” info and so I figured I would give you MY best tips for a successful open house.
Just Do it: Open Houses are the luck of the draw….. If you sit 10 houses and quit. Your 11th would have been an out of town cash buyer ready to make a deal. Just do them and commit to consistency. If this is your lead gen….just do it!
Be Yourself: If you’re a jeans and tee kinda gal/girl, wear that. I always think it's so weird to see a man in a full suit setting up open house signs in 115 degree weather. Idk what that has to do with this blog post but I guess I just wanted to let you know how weird I think that is. But really, I am a casual person and I always wanted to work with people like myself. I stick to more casual price points and really feel that’s the best way to stay true to myself and my clients.
Don’t Buy Stuff: I used to spend hundreds of dollars setting up for open houses. I would buy donuts, water, coffee, balloons etc and thought that the more I had the more I could connect with people. I’ve found an organic connection and an open door will get you further than s%$#y Frys donuts that no one….I repeat NO ONE will eat. If you’re new, don’t spend anything more than your time =]
DON'T be Pushy: The brokerage I started at taught us to make every single person that walked through the door sign in. If they wouldn’t they thought it was okay to turn them away. I always thought, what am I going to do with someone's info that hates me because I was so salesy I pushed them away. Make an organic connection.
Offer Something of Value: Like I said… What am I going to do with someone's info that doesn’t want to hear from me??? Well, I could cold call them and annoy them until they’re forced to work with me or I could offer something of value. Someone tells you there is a neighbor…..Offer to send them a market update of what their house is worth. Buyer that isn’t quite ready? Ask if it would be okay to send them something down the road if you come across it. Try to help people rather than capture a lead…. yeah, do that.
Take a Lender with You: Team up with a lender that is knowledgeable and can help you work your open house. Having a lender helps answer any questions someone coming in may have about financing and also gives you a second source of connection. The more signs the better. <— self explanatory.
Choose a Neighborhood You’re Familiar With: When I was new I always knew I wanted to dominate one market and I can’t believe how much easier it made things to do it in one I was familiar with. It’s way easier to connect with someone when you eat at the same restaurants as them and you know what their neighbors house sold for. Be consistent in where you hold open and choose a market you know.
Follow Up!: Check in on people you’ve met. Send thank you cards for stopping by. Send something of value after the fact. Give them a call. I don’t care how you do it but follow up. One of my listings this year came from a person I met at an open house 2…I repeat.. TWO years ago.
Prepare: Door knock, advertise, post to Zillow, send out flyers. Prepare for your open house and make sure people know it's going on. Your chance of a qualified buyer coming in off Zillow is 80% more than someone off the street that saw your sign.
That is all. All of my advice is totally specific to my business and is just what I have found works for me. I wish you the best in your open houses and hope you kick some A$$ at your next! Click the link below for more real estate tips and tricks!
