Open House-disaster

Merry,

I've held some very successful and some not so successful open houses. I use the same approach to each open house to try and ensure the best results. I've outlined the steps I use below:

1) Walk flyers to homes in the neighborhood where the house is located. I invite the neighbors to come by and bring anyone they know that may want to live in the neighborhood to come with them.

2) Send e-mails or call people I know that may be looking for a similar home and tell them about the open house.

3) On the day of the open house I put up at least 10 directional signs coming from at least two directions leading to the house. I attach two or three balloons to each sign so drivers will see them more easily and follow them to the open house.

4) If at all possible I try to hold the open house in the same neighborhood with other agents from my office so we can direct people to multiple homes. Open houses are much more successful if there is some sort of event or buzz around them that I don't have to try to duplicate myself.

The best open house I ever held had 20 people come to it in a three hour period.

Good luck.

Scott Sullivan
Realtor
Prudential Network Realty
Fleming Island, FL
Cell: (904) 327-5676
Office: (904) 269-1716
Scott.Sullivan@PrudentialNetworkRealty.com

Thanks to both of you for the advice. I love the idea of the gift card and inviting the neighbors, personally. Thanks again.

The problem in our area, these days, is how to scream loud enough to attract attention.
You say that you put out 3-6 signs with balloons. How about 20-30, leading from the nearest heavily trafficked area to the home?

We advertise in our local Paper, and post our opens in the MLS, but we also cut the open ads out of the paper (for ALL the agents, not just ours) tape them to a cover flyer sheet, copy them out to brightly colored paper, and attach them to the directionals, and at strategically attractive areas, (coffee shops, bus stops, METRO lines, etc.) (this takes hours of prep time, but gets surprisingly good turnout)

How about getting sidewalk chalk paint (the kind children use that washes away easily) and printing foot prints to the home via streets or sidewalks?

As the afternoons darken, but 10 or 12 flashing bicycle safety lights and attach them to the directionals.

Talk to lenders and see if they will attend and answer questions for first time buyers or for other buyers. Then advertise that on the OH post cards. Sometimes lenders will pay for the printing and/or mailing, for the shot.

Throw a party for the neighbors on a Friday afternoon, and invite the agents and brokers from your and other offices with listings in the area.

Are your directionals boring? Spice them up by edging them with brightly colored duct tape.

GET LARGE 'Open Sunday' signs (at least 24 x 36 ) and put them up on Monday for the open house on Sunday.

Or think of something different, or daring, and try that!

C'ya later!

I'm not a pro, so take this with a grain of salt, but I do remember an open house a couple of Novembers ago when the agent had made a big container of hot cider, pumpkin muffins and all sorts of yummy-smelling goodies. It was seasonal, and a good excuse for visitors to stay longer than they normally might have (and for the agent to grill them on what their intentions were).

Timing is everything! There were very few open houses on Labor Day in our area.

THinking outside the box. I love it!

Grab the public's attention with something. We use an 8' balloon on the front lawn. The kids love it and it becomes the talk of the neighborhood. Talk, you hope, leads to some action. Always send out a "special" invitation to your realtor family. Most often they will support you even if the public doesn't.
Linda Lipscomb
RE/MAX Unlimited
Lexington, TN.
http://www.lindalipscomb.com

Open Houses......yes, I do one almost every week! Have tried big balloons, little balloons, no balloons it all evens out. If they are serious buyers that really need a home, just a sign will do. I have no hotdogs or hamburgers but I do have cookies and I have coloring books and crayons that are a big hit when they come with children .Free from the home-inspection company I use. There are also people that have nothing to do on Sunday and like to have free food. An agent I know had a "cook-out" invited neighbors etc. all the hotdogs were gone but no luck selling the house! Anyway... I am getting ready for my next
open house!

These days it seems most of the people getting to our open houses are finding them via the internet. No one seems to be reading the pager anymore. When we ask them where they found us, ie signs, newspaper, internet etc. Most of the time it is the internet from sites like http://www.openhousenorthjersey.com a local site is easier for people to find and browse.
There are lots of open house sites, but most of the times there are not postings on them. Stick with a local on if there is one in your area.