Real estate professionals understand that the success of selling a home depends heavily on how well they market the listing. Listing marketing involves several techniques, including hiring a professional photographer and hosting an open house.
A well-staged, professionally photographed listing receives more engagement and competitive offers from motivated buyers than their undermarketed counterparts. In addition to staging and listing images, hosting an open house can further benefit both the seller and the agent.
Why host an open house?
Open houses bring together various people from different levels of the home buying process. Hosting an open house is a great way to meet prospective buyers and generate leads. While open houses do not typically result in a home sale on their own, they open many doors for future business opportunities.
Here are ten solid open house ideas to help generate more leads and close real estate deals:
1. Eblast an open house invite
Let your email list contacts be the first to know about an upcoming open house. These contacts should include your leads, previous clients, referrals, and sphere of influence.
When you send an open house e-vite to your contact list, you’re trying to spread the word, not push a sale. People on your email list will know people looking to buy.
The e-vite should include listing information, professional images, and a call-to-action (like asking the receiver to forward the information to potential buyers).
2. Dress up the home facade
First impressions matter. When guests pull up to your open house, they will make assumptions based entirely on the home’s facade. Before an open house, always determine if the lawn needs a mow and decide if you need to enhance the curb appeal.
A little work can make a significant impact. Freshly mowed grass, a power-washed driveway, and some seasonal flowers on the front porch quickly transform a home. Add a new doormat and decorative wreath to make guests feel even more welcome.
3. Use a professional photographer
A professional real estate photographer is key to gaining the proper exposure online. The first step of your real estate marketing strategy must include preparing the listing and hiring a professional photographer for new real estate images.
Your real estate images help promote your open house through social media posts, email invites, and online real estate forums. Additionally, you can use your real estate images at the open house to show guests virtual staging examples for each room.
4. Promote on social media
Social media is a powerful tool for real estate agents. Whether you’re active on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or all of the above, using social media for real estate is critical.
Promote your open house events on social media as a post. The post should include the event details and a few listing images. You could even consider embedding a video of the property’s best features.
In addition to posting the open house on your social media feed, consider crossposting on Facebook groups and communities. Several real estate groups on Facebook welcome promotional listing posts.
5. Notify the neighbors
Telling neighbors about your open house is a courteous gesture and a beneficial marketing strategy. When you notify the neighbors of your upcoming open house, you help them plan for a potential influx of traffic and activity.
Additionally, the neighbors likely have friends or family looking to buy; people want to live near someone they like, which works out well for you.
6. Use a tablet for digital sign in
The busyness of an open house pulls an agent in many directions, so it’s tough to greet every new guest. A digital sign-in sheet helps you passively generate open house leads.
Place a charged tablet on a table close to the entry point. The digital sign-in should ask for first and last name, email address, and what part of the buying process they’re in.
7. Learn about your guests
An open house is also a networking event. Your open house allows you to learn more about potential buyers in your area.
Spend some time asking guests questions to understand their wants and needs better. If you expect a busy open house, bring a junior agent along to help greet new arrivals as you mingle.
As you conversate with potential buyers, learn about their timeline, must-have list, and ideal neighborhood. If any of their must-haves are a part of your listing, let them know!
8. Host a live virtual walkthrough
The real estate industry is pretty tech-savvy. Third-party listing websites and 3D virtual tour platforms are now commonplace for home buyers, with every property detail accessible online.
Some motivated buyers won’t attend your open houses. With a live virtual walkthrough, you can appease those absent buyers. Once your open house begins, hop on Facebook live or Instagram live and present a walkthrough of the listing. On your virtual walkthrough, engage with viewers and answer questions.
To make your walkthrough video more professional, stable, and smooth, place your smartphone in a gimbal.
9. Stage rooms virtually
Virtual staging helps buyers see a room’s full potential. Sometimes, the shape of a space makes it difficult to understand how to place furniture and decorate the interior.
Use your tablet to show guests the listing’s real estate images with virtual staging in various interior design styles. Some real estate marketing companies now offer virtual staging services alongside listing image packages.
10. Follow up with your lead list
Lastly, a successful open house includes following up with your fresh lead list. Those guests who used your tablet’s digital sign-in form are now new leads.
Create an email campaign for your open house lead list. The campaign should include at least eight emails to help stay in consistent contact.
Throughout the email campaign, thank your guests for taking the time to attend your open house, ask them where they are in the buying process, and provide information about new listings in the area.
Make the most of your listing marketing with Virtuance
Let Virtuance be your one-stop shop for real estate marketing services. Virtuance provides real estate agents with professional real estate photography, virtual 3D tours, single listing websites, interactive floor plans, and much more.
In addition to real estate marketing services, Virtuance provides free resources, including webinars, social media templates, a blog, and the Curb Appeal podcast.
FAQ
The general rule of thumb is to host on Saturday or Sunday from 11am–3pm or in the evening from 5pm–8pm. If you host on a weekday, aim for an evening time and avoid rush hour.
Before marketing your listing, prepare the home by decluttering, staging, and taking professional real estate photos. After publishing your listing on the MLS and Zillow, promote it on social media and through email.
An open house helps the listing agent promote the listing to neighbors, interested buyers, and other agents. Additionally, an open house generates new leads for the hosting real estate agent.
