You have already sent out the open house postcards and the day is quickly approaching to swing open the doors of your latest listing and welcome in the potential new real estate clients and (hopefully) the buyer for this particular house.
Here are five quick things you can do to help make your open house a marketing success:
1. Be aware of odors: Cooking odors, pet odors, musty odors, any and all odors. Control them with natural means. (Consider boiling sliced lemons in water before anyone arrives to eliminate stale odors.) If the owner burns candles, blow them out if they are any “scent” other than a simple vanilla. Do not spray products which may cause allergic or other negative reactions from open house attendees. People react emotionally to smells and like decor, if one is too individual or too bold, it will turn people off.
2. Remove all evidence of pets: The owner should have done this before you arrive to set up, but they may have forgotten a doggie bone in the yard or a kitty toy in the living room. Take a “roller” type lint remover to pull any visible pet hair from an upholstered surfaces that the owner may have missed when cleaning.
3. Clear the Front of the Refrigerator: Many clients will stage a house for sale, but when a child comes home with another work of art, a grocery list is started, or a new magnet is collected, the front of the refrigerator will become quickly cluttered. Clearing the front of this appliance takes seconds and makes the kitchen look neat, clean and more spacious.
4. Control the Temperature: If it’s Summer, set the thermostat a few degress lower than normal to ensure the house stays cool and welcoming despite multiple arrivals. Ditto for the winter — move the thermostat up a few degrees so the cold following people in from the outside doesn’t make the inside uncomfortably cool and make the house seem like it’s hard to heat.
5. Let the Light Shine In: Make sure all the drapes and/or shades allow natural light to come in (avoid this only if the view out the window is abysmal), and turn on lights in every room and inside storage areas: closets, pantries, garages, attics and basements.
Once you do this quick run-through, be sure your business cards and other printed marketing materials are at-the-ready. Be sure to introduce yourself to every visitor, offer them your business card, and ask what features their ideal house will have. Take notes on what they say. If they don’t think the open house listing is a good match, ask if you can look for a house that will meet their criteria to show them. If they agree, get their contact information.
Once you are back at the office, add each and every open house attendee to your contacts database, along with the notes you took on their needs. You are building a great farm list! Within 24-48 hours you should thank each one for attending (a simple business notecard will do) and call those who agreed to let you show them other houses with options and possible times to show.
Open houses are great ways to show a client’s home and to generate leads for new clients. Don’t miss the opportunity to follow-up and start building a long-term relationship with each person you meet!
If you need additional ideas on how to touch these individuals through postcard marketing or personal contacts, call us! 1-866-763-8720 BestPrintBuy.com is your real estate marketing resource. We are here to help you!