There are plenty of agents and homebuyers who believe that an open house is an outdated tool in real estate. After all, virtual tours and apps have made the process of homebuying nearly entirely possible through online browsing alone.
However, as a real estate agent, open houses are still a highly effective way to capture vital information and a host of new leads—if you know what information to look for, that is.
The next time you hold an open house, make sure you put these tips into action to ensure every lead that walks through the door becomes a client in the future.
Set up a sign-in table.
No one should attend your open house without providing you with their name and contact info. Open houses can be hectic, especially if you end up with a high attendance number. But even if you can’t meet with every single interested buyer, you should be able to easily contact them after the fact. You can also include take-home items on this table for people to grab on their way out—like your business cards or other personally-branded items and goodie bags with helpful printouts such as a “House Hunting Checklist.”
Don’t just ask questions about their home needs.
While you’ll want to find out as much as possible about what open house attendees are looking for in their future home, you don’t want to neglect the opportunity to learn more about them as people. Finding out what prospects like and dislike, if they have any children or pets, and other tidbits of information can make all the difference when it comes time to sell. If you know who they areas opposed to what they want, they’ll be more likely to trust you.
Show your expertise.
Potential buyers won’t only be looking at the house itself when considering the purchase of a new home—they’ll be looking at the surrounding area, too, and whether or not it meets their needs. An open house is a great opportunity to not only showoff the house, but the neighborhood. As a local expert, you have the ability to hone in on the aspects of the neighborhood that a buyer might be interested in most. If a family is touring, it’s wise to mention local playgrounds, the quality of schools, and fun restaurants. You may even be able to partner with local business to offer coupons at the open house—something attendees are guaranteed to appreciate and remember you by.
Take notes.
You’re meeting a lot of different prospects at an open house, and you’re bound to forget important information about some of them. A sign-in sheet can help you remember names, email addresses, and phone numbers, but it won’t help you remember whether the Smiths have a daughter named Sarah and are looking for a spacious master bedroom with a walk-in closet. Take notes throughout the day so you can remember these facts and use them later on.