Open House Basic Tips
Summer is upon us, and with the warmer months approaching, many people will be looking to purchase a new home or move apartments. An estimated 80% of moves happen between April and September1 and home buying season usually starts in March and goes through summer.2 As such, hosting an open house during the following months could benefit your real estate agency in securing your next sale.
What is an Open House?
An open house is an event orchestrated by real estate agencies, rental properties, and home owners to open a property to the public to view and show potential interest in purchasing or renting. It allows real estate agents or property staff to meet and interact with prospective clients and potentially secure a sale or rental agreement.
Do Open Houses Work?
There is some contention on whether open houses help sell houses or seal a new rental. Many agents find that open houses rarely end with buyers purchasing the property while others meet with frequent success. However, the main benefit of an open house is building a repertoire with prospective clients. Nurturing a trusting relationship between agent and buyer is important, and ensuring that your clients remember your name or the name of your agency with a custom real estate name tag will mean a greater chance of buyers coming to you when they become interested in purchasing a new home.
Open House Checklist
To run a successful open house, you will need to prepare ahead of time. A lot can go into these preparations, so here are six basic items to remember.
1. Advertise
No one will attend your open house if they don’t know you’re hosting one to begin with. Spreading the word is a vital early step in preparing your event. Share the event on your company’s website and social media pages or distribute outdoor signs to catch the attention of motorists and other by passers to inform them of your property’s location and the date of your open house.
2. Cleanliness
Ensure the property is clean. Showing a filthy house or apartment unit will turn people away and leave a poor impression on the capabilities and trustworthiness of you and your company. Sweep and mop any non-carpeted areas, vacuum carpets and rugs, dust and wipe off counter tops, and clean windows and mirrors to show your clients the best version of the property.
3. Staging
Staging refers to the process of strategically placing furniture and decor to demonstrate the potential of a living space. It gives clients an idea of how they could arrange their own furniture, what they like or dislike about the current set-up, and how they can emulate or improve upon it. Showing those attending your open house the property’s potential with proper staging helps them imagine themselves living in the space which could mean the difference in a new or lost sale.
4. Refreshments
As previously stated, open houses are primarily for building a relationship with prospective clients, and providing refreshments is a perfect way to do that. Coffee, juice, meat and cheese trays, fresh fruit, and cookies are all wonderful ideas. Bonus points if the cookies are homemade. This provides you an opportunity to connect with and get to know individuals or groups over a snack while they mull over the property and allows them to ask any questions they may have. Getting clients to trust you will mean there is a greater chance of them turning to you should they decide to submit an offer for the property or utilizing you for further house hunting opportunities.
5. Sign-In
Keeping track of guests allows you to follow up with them later if they show interest in the property. Setting up a check-in area near the entrance of the house or rental unit is a quick and easy method of logging visitors. Provide a sign-in book, laptop, or tablet and perhaps a stack of reusable chalkboard name tags near the front door for guests to write their names on so you can easily learn their names.
6. Staying Memorable
Since the general purpose of an open house is to stay memorable to potential and future home buyers, wearing an eye-catching name tag from Name Tag Wizard works well in tandem while you host your event. Customized with your name and agency’s logo, a house-shaped name tag is perfect for getting guests to remember you. Be sure to include your name and title as well as your agency’s name and logo so anyone you meet at your open house can easily remember you and your company.
Prepare for your next open house with these tips and a custom real estate name tag from Name Tag Wizard!