Tips to Get People to an Open House
By Isaac Peck
Holding an “Open House” is a long-standing tradition for real estate agents and brokers. Real estate agents have different opinions on the issue, with some saying that they are a waste of time and a security risk, while others insist that not only are they a great way to showcase a house and find potential buyers, but they can also be a tool to find additional clients, network with other real estate professionals, and provide positive publicity for the agent hosting the open house.
Those real estate agents and brokers who do host open houses are confronted with a challenge: how do you get people to show up?
Here are 10 tips for getting people to attend an open house:
1. Hold the open house on a Sunday and the day before, on Saturday, post flyers and place signs at intersections and high-traffic areas in the local neighborhoods nearby.
2. Advertise in your local paper. Many local newspapers have an open house section where you can include the address of the home, a picture, and a short description.
3. Reach out to local agents/Realtors with listings and inform them of your open house—they may know buyers who might be interested.
4. Go door-to-door in the immediate surrounding neighborhoods and invite neighbors to attend. Be sure to encourage them to invite their friends.
5. Create “door hanger” invitations that can be placed on the front doors of the houses in the area.
6. Consider a direct mail campaign. A modest direct mail campaign of 200-300 mailings in a targeted area can be very effective.
7. Utilize Social Media! Be sure to share news of your open house on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media accounts. You can post it to your personal Facebook page, as well as your company’s page. If you have a friend that you think might be interested, post it to his or her page as well for added visibility.
8. Be sure to advertise the open house on your local MLS system if possible, and consider posting your open house to other real estate websites such as ListingBook.com, Realtor.com, Craigslist and others that will give you additional visibility.
9. If possible, be sure to advertise that there will be finger-foods available!
10. Make sure that the front of the house has a phone number large enough to be seen from the street. Otherwise, be sure to post a sign letting interested home-buyers easily identify the open house.
Remember, hosting an open house can be a great way to both showcase a home and meet potential clients.
Good luck out there!
About the Author
Isaac Peck is the Associate Editor of Working RE Magazine and Marketing Coordinator at OREP.org, a leading provider of E&O Insurance for appraisers, inspectors, and other real estate professionals in 49 states. He received his Bachelors in Business Management at San Diego State University. He can be contacted at Isaac@orep.org or 888-347-5273.