Wish me luck! My first open house is Sunday. (agents, Realtor, foreclosures)
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Hi all, most of you know that I am new. I am super excited about my first open house!
I fully intend to sell it on Sunday, for cash, close on Friday! Well, OK, but that's my attitude anyway.
I have all of my flyers and marketing materials ready and have scoped out the neighborhood. Tonight I'll drive by and figure out where to place my signs.
It's my office's listing, so I am of course hoping for an unrepresented buyer, so I can actually make some $$$.
Any tips or advice at this point would be appreciated!
Great attitude, in my first year, I sold the first one, was tickled to death. Be sure and capture the id, information, and even help the visitors write it down, name, no, and email, and then repeat it back to them. Too many times, they scribble, and your intent is to capture them as a possible client, and even if they are not interested in your open house, sell them on becomming their agent. Good luck, and your sign placement, will help the most. Oh yeah, better luck next Halloween, wear a diff color.
Last edited by oldmanbob; 10-09-2008 at 09:39 AM..
Reason: type
Keep that attitude!! I built my entire business off of open houses. Still do them all the time. Don't worry about all that fluff like cookies, candy, etc. Just have good information for anyone that needs it and try to get them to register with you. I prefer individual registry sheets than having everyone sign on one sheet of paper. When they leave, I put notes on the back of that sheet (ie. job, kids names, what they're looking for, etc). If they don't want to fill out anything, just give them your card and tell them to call if they ever need anything. Try to remember their first and last name in that situation because you can probably look them up on the appraisal district and send them a Thank You card.
know what else is for sale in the area. bring MLS print outs with you so you can refer to them. they will talk about the house around the corner and you better know about it as well. IF YOU CAN, go and preview the other houses in the neighborhood / area so you know the inventory. Also, I print up "special invitations" for the neighbors and deliver them a day or two in advance. It invites them to come to the open house an hour early without fear of being a nosy neighbor, I put that I will have lemonade and cookies for the kids (or a halloween treat, whatever). WHY? because i want traffic in the house and sometime neighbors know someone that might want to see the house. In the least, I have created a buzz at the house with folks there.
Ditto...it's about knowing your product, inventory, high energy...and I like to play jazz music... seems to relax people when they walk through the door.
Count me as another, who advocates Open Houses, in the right areas, especially when the property is priced to sell. I am very, very particular about the homes I will sit and I insist it be advertized, 1-3.
Back when, it used to spook me that for all I know, the homeowners might show at their own Open House, posed as buyers.
I take ownership of the Open House and do my best to meet the owners before hand. I want to know what they like most/least about the house. I want to know if they have had any offers. I want to know the age of the mechanicals and the roof. I want to know why they are moving. I want to establish rapport and find out what makes them tick because I may be the agent representing a buyer of their home and I want to give my buyer every advantage.
I do my homework and know the competition as well as recent closed comps.
I ask for the owner's "pernmission" to invite the neighbors because they are often the best marketing tools. It is also a huge opportunity to create an favorable impression with them. You will not believe what you can learn by talking to the neighbors.
If I don't care for the marketing materials the listing agent has created, I create my own.
I have my own imprinted foyer carpet to welcome people.
I am very careful to avoid the appearance of soliciting the listing and have had to respectfully decline, when owners want me instead of the listing agent. I am flattered and ask them to refer me if they know someone who needs to move. And some of them have done so.
I have sold homes off of Open Houses and I have also sat Opens when no one showed up. You never know.
Good luck Tucson! And don't stop with one. Set them up for every weekend as long as you can. Other agents in my office say that foreclosures are good for OH, if you can withstand tall grass and no electricity, but I've never done them. I, too, have an Open House scheduled for a new listing this Saturday. I'll be thinking about you!
Shelly: I send out come 1-hour early invites to the neighbors and friends of the sellers, too! It's a good way to meet people and network!
I think all the advice here is great. If there's a comp in the neighborhood, have that info with you, and preview it. If that house isn't open the same day as yours and the potential client isn't interested in your listing, tell them you can take them through the comp as soon as you're done. It's a great way to show you're a hardworker!
Depending on price point, if the home is more likely to be sold to a first time homebuyer, it's worked wonders for me to have a trusted lender come with me to the open house to help educate first time home buyers on financing.
Try your best to be laid back and easy going. I welcome people and tell them to make themselves comfortable...I don't follow them around or "sell" immediately. I usually let people walk through and then when they're about to leave, I ask if they have any questions. I answer their questions and sell the house in my answers. I also ask, how long have you been looking? And, "What has your realtor been showing you?" This is a good question to get the crucial information if they're already represented without saying, "Are ya working with anyone?" If they say they don't have a realtor, then you can ask them "What are you looking for in a realtor." I find that asking these types of questions, if the potential client is willing to answer, is a great way to show your interest, gain knowledge and also provide information to the potential client as it relates to their responses. Basically, you're selling yourself too.
I can't wait to hear how it goes! Have fun and be safe!
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Well, OK, but that's my attitude anyway. 
