Hello World! Welcome Friends! Open house events are an exciting time, whether you’re a real estate agent or a homeowner looking to sell your house. You’ll have prospective buyers looking at your home and asking questions about the property. With a higher demand for housing, now is a great time to have an open house and generate those leads. Here are eight tips for hosting the best open house.
1. Ask Real Estate Agents in the Area
You could do prep work by visiting other open house events nearby and conversing with the real estate agents there. Pick up tips on how they stage the house and what selling points they use for the area you’re in. Veteran agents will know what works with buyers in your neighborhood and what doesn’t. If this is your first open house, watch another agent and see how they handle each interaction.
2. Schedule Wisely
You could prep the house perfectly, but it could be a waste of time if nobody comes. Knowing your schedule and what’s happening in the community helps determine the best day and time to hold your open house. The weekend is the best time. If you want to host one during the week, try to schedule it in the mid-to-late afternoon when most people get off work and can make a stop on the way home.
3. Stage the Home
Staging the house may be the most critical tip on this list. When prospective buyers come to your home, their first impressions will go a long way in determining whether they make an offer or walk out uninterested. The first places guests will see are the front yard and the house’s exterior. You can stage the outside by decorating the porch and adding potted plants. Cleaning is also essential, so mow the grass and pressure wash the siding.
For the interior, cleaning up is the first step for staging. Seeing a tidy home impresses buyers. Potted plants work both inside and out. They can make the home feel fresh and inviting.
Take advantage of natural light during the daytime and ensure the furniture fits the room. Large pieces make areas feel small, but a lack of furniture can make them feel cold and empty.
4. Offer Refreshments
Offering food and beverages at your open house is an excellent way to make guests happier and feel more at home. You can serve fun appetizers like caviar tartare or bruschetta. Baked goods would be a fantastic idea, especially if you prepared them yourself. Taking the time to make freshly baked cookies can make your guests feel welcomed. You can provide bottled water or an array of beverages like lemonade, tea or soda.
5. Advertise Beforehand
Social media has become a critical tool in the hands of real estate agents these days. It has replaced the need to purchase ad space in the classified section. Leave no stone unturned when it comes to advertising your open house. You can use your website and business accounts on various platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Social media is a part of daily life for many, with over 300 million Americans using it. Digital advertising is well worth your time.
Online advertising is excellent, but you should still utilize some old-fashioned tactics in the days leading up to your open house. You can place signs at intersections, post flyers on bulletin boards and put a for sale sign in the front yard. These strategies are still effective even in the digital age.
6. Livestream the Event
Social media can be a terrific tool before the event, but have you thought about how you can use it during the open house and after? Livestreaming the open house while it’s happening can significantly benefit you. You can also create a separate event for a virtual tour.
This idea is excellent because you’ll reach a wider audience. Livestreams allow people unable to make your open house to see it in person. You can use various apps for livestreaming, including Facebook, Twitch and YouTube. Watchers can ask you questions during the stream, and people that miss it can view a recording on your page afterward.
7. Invite a Loan Officer
Arrange for a loan officer to be at the open house while guests view the property. This plan is a win for everyone involved because prospective buyers can ask them questions about finances. The loan officer can give buyers a prequalified status, expediting the process. Instead of waiting to hear back later, you and the buyers can know their position on the same day. If you can’t have one there, make one available on the phone.
8. Follow Up Afterward
Follow-up is vital once the open house has concluded. Send an email thanking everybody for coming, and then call the prospective buyers to gauge their interest in making an offer on the house. This opportunity could be good for asking how you could make open houses better in the future.
Hosting the Best Open House
An open house is an exciting time for real estate agents or anybody looking to sell a home. Half the fun is cleaning up the property and making everything look nice when prospective buyers arrive. Use these eight tips to host the best open house and generate more leads.
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