It’s easy to think of open houses as being all about selling a particular property, but real estate marketing is an ongoing effort. A well-run open house can work to your advantage by bringing potential clients directly to you.
Lots of people will walk through a house out of curiosity: neighbors looking to get an idea of their own home’s value, sellers trying to price their homes, buyers looking at their options, even renters who are just passing by.
All of these people could use a real estate agent of their own. Impress them now, and you could end up working for them in the coming weeks or months.
Real Estate Marketing Tips for Open Houses
Sales is a numbers game. The more people you get in the door, the better your odds of selling the house. This is also true for building your client base. The more connections you make, the more people will remember you when they’re ready to buy or sell.
Use your social media presence to get the word out about your open house, and consider teasing the most beautiful room on Instagram, which is the ideal platform to showcase stunning interior design. Facebook event invites can also work, especially if you’re already working with a list of solid leads.
Although the world is growing more digital by the day, print marketing is still very much alive. Capture neighborhood interest by announcing your open house with flyers in the immediate area. This can really boost your attendance, and you could meet many more potential clients from these drop-ins.
Gather Contact Information
In addition to showing the house in the best light, your main goal at an open house is to make personal connections and stay in touch with those future clients.
Impress people right out of the gate with an electronic sign-in. Use a tablet to make sure you’ll be able to decipher everyone’s email address and have them ready to go for your next newsletter. You can easily keep track of your prospects by using a data gathering app. This makes lead building a cinch.
Another great way to use technology is to create online packages of information about the property. This could be a robust listing page on your website, a virtual tour, or a PDF with loads of data and photos. The catch? You tell your potential clients that you’d like to email them instead of handing them a flyer. This lets you gather contact information and engage in personal conversations to answer their questions at the property.
Agent Best Practices for Open Houses
In addition to gathering leads, you’ll want to spend your time engaging your guests. Take the time to chat with everyone you can to find out why they stopped by.
Some open house visitors are embarrassed to admit they have no intention of buying, but your goal should be to have honest discussions so you can tailor your future messaging. See if you can tease out whether they might buy, sell, or rent in the near future, and follow up with an email.
Finally, do your homework. Be prepared to answer questions about the house from memory. You’ll look like a rock star when you can prove you know your stuff without having to look it up.
It’s also a good idea to have additional information on hand about the neighborhood schools, services, and amenities like nearby restaurants. This lets you position yourself as a true local expert, which will make you attractive to anyone thinking about hiring a real estate agent in the future.
