Written by: Krysi Simon, office assistant, Julie Pogue Properties
Have you ever wondered whether the cost/benefit of an open house makes it worth your time and effort? Or the time and effort of your sellers? Following a few strategic tips can help you to make the most of your open houses, both for you, as the agent, and your client, as the homeowner.
Tip #1: Capitalize on Your Only Chance at a First Impression
Use face-to-face time with buyers to be memorable. Ask them questions. Learn about their families, their likes, their dislikes. Make the time with them in the home conversational and convey your interest in meeting their home needs and desires.
Tip #2: Guests, not Customers
Notice that I used the term “guests?” That’s just what visitors to an open house are and just how they should be treated. As an alternative to treating them as “customers” that wander the house looking for you, greet them at the door. Engage them and make them feel welcome. Provide them with a tidbit of information that entices them to see more than the entryway.
Tip #3: Use Teasers
Find a centrally located area to attractively display brochures, school information, neighborhood details, etc. These items should be in large, bold print and allow for easily processed information. Additionally, they should not provide the buyer with every piece of information about the property but should invite them to want to know more.
Tip #4: Don’t be a Pest
Approach visitors in a way that allows them to see you as a resource but does not make them feel as if they are running from you. Be aware of visitors, where they are and how long they’ve been in the home but making guests feel as if they are being “followed” will result in them rushing through the property and likely bypassing many of the home’s features.
Tip #5: Put the House’s Best Foot Forward
In order to make guests feel at home in the house, make it inviting, friendly and clean. Both the interior and exterior of the home should appear welcoming and allow the buyer to envision themselves and their family in the home. Use visual markers to point out features of the home that they may easily pass by since you will not be escorting them step-by-step.
Tip #6: Schedule Strategically
Open houses are most effectively utilized in areas that are easily accessible. Also take into account neighborhood/community activities that may either bolster or hinder the number of visitors you receive. For example, choosing to hold an open house on the weekend of a neighborhood yard sale may increase the amount of viewers while one held on the day of the Kentucky Derby will most likely not result in many guests.
Tip #7: Who Doesn’t Like Food & Drinks??
After a long day of house hunting, many guests will be welcomed by an offer of refreshment. Items should be simple. Small hor dourves and beverages that appeal to a broad range of palates will be most effective. Place these in a location that is approximately 1/3 of their way around the home and, while the refreshments should remain within view, avoid making them feel forced. If the atmosphere of the home and community allow, a few choices of wines can also make open house visitors feel like guests in a home. Below are a few reasonably priced, widely-palatable recommendations:
WHITE WINES
Chardonnay
Kendall Jackson
Bonterra
MacMurray Ranch
Edna Valley
Benziger
Frei Brothers
Laguna
Sauvignon Blanc
Kendall Jackson
Bonterra
Edna Valley
Benziger
Whitehaven
Frei Brothers
Riesling
Kendall Jackson
Pinot Gris
MacMurray Ranch
King Estate (Acrobat)
RED WINES
Cabernet
Louis Martini
Kendall Jackson
Frei Brothers
Benziger
Bonterra
Merlot
Kendall Jackson
Frei Brothers
Benziger
Bonterra
Zinfandel
Kendall Jackson
Frei Brothers
Bonterra
Pinot Noir
Kendall Jackson
Frei Brothers
MacMurray Ranch
Bonterra
Blend
Apothic
