Open houses are a fundamental tool in the world of real estate. But what makes an open house successful? There are several steps you can take to make sure yours is a winner. Make Sure People Know About It This may seem obvious, but if no one knows about your open house, no one will show up. Signs are always an effective way to do this. Posting about your open house on social media is also an efficient and modern method to bring in people. Josh Niehaus of the Elite Group suggests posting at 3 p.m. on Thursdays to get the most engagements. This is a prime time for social media use and close enough to the weekend that people won’t forget. Timing is Everything Obviously, you want to hold your open house at a time when most people can come, which is why most typically happen over the weekend. However, changing it up could be beneficial. Dawn Pellas of Perry Wellington Realty suggests trying an evening open house during the week. Prospective buyers can come by after work and will be less likely to have to choose between your event and another. Have Something to Offer Give prospective buyers something to take home. Refreshments are great, but giving an item of value that visitors can take with them will stand out. It will also serve as a reminder of your agency and open house. An ideal souvenir would be something people could actually use branded with your name or logo, a different kind of business card. Some ideas that might stand out include:
  • Magnets
  • Thumb drives
  • Phone wallets
  • Cinch bags
Follow Up Make sure you collect every visitor’s contact information. This can be done with a simple sign-in sheet or through apps such as On-spot Social, which could help you gather more information. Whichever method you use to get contact info, make sure you use it to follow up. Pellas makes a good point in saying that even if buyers aren’t interested in this specific property, you might have something else they’d want. Most importantly, when following up and dealing with buyers in general, be genuine.