Tips to Host a Successful Open House Plus How to Gain Exposure & Leads! August 22, 2022 By Open houses bring plenty of opportunities for agents to tap into digital platforms and utilize open houses to gain leads. Today we’re taking you through a number of creative ways to enhance the open house experience for buyers and sellers. We’ve got a few tips on how to use technology to engage clients across every touchpoint as well as valuable knowledge from our DOBI agents on how they gain leads and grow their business through open houses. ADVERTISE ONLINE Email blasts, the MLS, and posting and optimizing listings on social media are all effective methods for promoting a property. But with content creation, agents can unlock a new level of value. With social media platforms, you can get very creative on how to market your new listings and open houses. Short-form videos on TikTok and Instagram Reels can easily go viral if you know how to work the algorithm — and the best part is, it’s free. You can also opt to put paid behind your open houses and listings to further promote them. DOBI agent, Lucine Tarman, shares that she always advertises her open house event on her social media using quality professional photos and video a few days in advance to drum up interest. Pro-tip: she says ask your sellers to share it as well with their network! You can read more on how our agents use social media to grow their business on our blog, here. Invest in Quality Photography & Videography Nothing ensures the extra hype and interest of potential buyers like having professional photography and videography done on the home. Professional photographer in real estate photos can significantly help real estate agents sell listings faster and for more money to a prospective buyer. Plus, the photos & videos can be used online and on social media prior to the open house. DOBI agent, Brooke Azimi, know’s a thing or two about promoting high-quality listings with professional videography and photography to make a big impact for sellers on potential buyers. She shares that it’s important to promote it early, especially online, so be sure to have all the images and video content you need prepped ahead of time to really build some hype around it. We’ve seen many agents investing more in professional videography to give the buyer an entirely different, more elevated experience. Additionally, with 96% of home buyers looking at houses online, the way you visually market your listings is critical to stand out from the crowd. A professional real estate photography service can also offer drone photography and videography to further help your listing stand out. Not every property needs aerial images, but drone photography could highlight those features for prospective buyers if the property has a unique layout or outdoor quality. SIGNAGE AND MATERIAL Did you know the signage and material can make a huge impression on potential buyers. Are you using the heavy signs or the ones that stick in the ground? Chances are, if you are using ones that are flimsy and stick into the ground, there is a potential chance they may blow over or face more wear and tear. In fact, DOBI agent, Debbie Nelson shares that the signs are a direct representation of who you are as an agent. “You could be sitting inside an open house for two hours and not have even realized your open house sign blew over and that’s why there is no one inside.” Debbie also recommends putting open house signs throughout different streets in the neighbored to attract even more attention. Additionally, using catchy rider’s on top of your sign like, “I’m Gorgeous Inside”, or “Happy Mothers Day” can help your sign to stand out! DURING THE OPEN HOUSE When potential buyers come to your open house, Debbie Nelson says it’s important to ask how they found your open house. “Ask them where they saw the listing- online or just driving through? Are they working with an agent?” It’s also crucial to know the inventory in surrounding areas. Lucine shares that she always does her homework and has a sheet of other open houses in the area that are similar to yours. If your listing isn’t the right fit, give them the sheet and direct them to the others nearby! “Guests will be shocked that you are pointing out the competition – and you will leave a very good impression: that you are professional, you are knowledgeable, and most importantly, you are NOT desperate, and you want what is best for the client!” Bonus, if they aren’t already working with an agent, it’s a valuable way to potentially gain a new client. It’s always the small details that help you to stand out as well. Brooke Azimi shares that she always makes sure her open houses are prepped with flyers, water, and snacks. Also, be sure to have all lights on in the home with music and wipe down door knobs and light switches afterward for the homeowner. AUTOMATE CLIENT FOLLOW-UP With the prevalence of CRM platforms, automated tools for marketing and communications have increasingly valuable for real estate offices and brokerages. We recommend that agents incorporate these into their open house-related workflows to ensure no potential buyers are left out of the loop. Lucine Tarman also shares it’s important to create a sign-in sheet asking guests for feedback on their experience at the house. You can tell them the sellers would love to know their thoughts about the house! This also helps to gain feedback on overall thoughts about the listing and if there can be an example to tweak how it is staged, etc. For example, if there was consistent feedback about the lack of a dining area in the home, utilize home staging to create a dedicated dining area so buyers can really envision themselves in the space.