These days there is enough information about properties for sale online that families can purchase a home sight unseen. But according to Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trends Report 2019 survey data, nearly two-thirds (62%) of sellers host at least one open house as part of their selling activities.
A successful open house requires both a strategy and a plan. Here are eight open house ideas to increase traffic and get you leads.
Advertise your open house early in the week
You should advertise on the Saturday of the weekend before you host your open house. In most communities, the best time for an open house is either early afternoon or midafternoon on a Sunday. Open houses typically run between two and four hours, so make sure to start by midafternoon.
When advertising an open house, make sure you’re including the date and time on:
- The home’s landing page
- Your business website
- The home’s listing on Zillow and Trulia
You can also use Zillow’s 3D Home App to add virtual tours to your listings for free. Ask the listing agents to enter their information in the MLS right away to make it easier to capture online shoppers. If the open house gets into the MLS early in the week, it will hit all the major websites like Yahoo! Homes and Curbed, as well as brokerage sites. When a potential buyer browses Zillow or Trulia that weekend and sees an interesting open house on the following Sunday, they’ll be inclined to take note.
Market your open house on social media
When advertising an open house on social media, make sure to share the time, date and location in the caption of the post. If you’re doing something special like having a backyard barbecue or hosting a food truck outside, make sure to mention that as well. Otherwise, include a brief description of the listing.
How to market an open house on social media
Share sneak peeks of the home: Upload two or three high-res images of the home on Instagram and Facebook with listing details like “Colonial home with newly remodeled kitchen” in the caption.
Share a behind-the-scenes video: Use Instagram Stories to show you prepping a home for an open house, and include tags like #today, #home and #openhouse in the caption.
Share a video walkthrough: Use Facebook Live to give an open house teaser of what buyers can look forward to if you’re hosting an open house on multiple days.
Boost your open house with Facebook ads: With Facebook ads, you can select your budget, audience and include a call to action (CTA) that directs people to the listing’s landing page or website.
Host a private open house event for neighbors
A special open house just for the neighborhood can help spread the word before you host your public open house. Invite the neighbors in person — knock on their door, hand them an open house brochure and tell them you’ve set aside a special time slot for them to see the open house. Marketing an open house to neighbors helps
- Keep you top of mind if any neighbors are looking to sell.
- Get them excited to spread the word about the home for sale in their neighborhood.
- Prompt prospective buyers to act quickly because of the extra foot traffic.
Put out open house signs early
Signs help direct and drive traffic to your open house. Put out five or six A-frames on the morning of the event, and place one sign in the front yard before the event with the date and time of the open house. A few places to put open house signs are:
- on a main road close to the neighborhood
- at the turnoff to the neighborhood
- any intersections in the neighborhood (to help buyers find the open house)
Drive around once or twice to make sure the signs are easily readable and helpful to potential shoppers. Someone driving by may not be an active buyer, but they could be a future buyer or seller or know someone who’s looking to buy a home.
Tips for creating the best open house signs
A good open house sign can make the difference between a well-attended event and a wasted afternoon. Here are some open house tips to create a sign that gets people through the door:
Spell it out: Make sure your sign actually says “open house” and not just “for sale.” You want passersby to know you’re holding an open house event and not simply advertising a home for sale.
Remember the time: Buyers need to plan their day, so include the hours of your event.
Introduce yourself: Always make sure your open house sign clearly displays your name and website.
Show your branding: Since you’ll likely use your open house marketing sign multiple times, include your corporate colors and logo to match your other marketing materials.
Point them in the right direction: Include a directional arrow that points to the front door.
Don’t leave your signs up after the open house. It looks bad if they are left to tip over in the wind or block the street or sidewalk, and they might get stolen overnight.
Do your research
Even though early buyers may just be gauging the market, they’re still real buyers. They probably have questions about what they see online, how this property compares to others and what’s happening in your market. This is your chance to serve as an informed resource and trusted advisor — someone with value to add. Tell them about the five best comps for the open house and speak with authority. Have some unique selling points and fun facts ready for when you’re asked common questions like:
- “Why is the seller selling?”
- “Can you tell me more about the home?”
- “What is the neighborhood like?”
Remember, you’re there to represent the seller or the listing agent. But you should also be ready to respectfully engage buyers and begin a relationship. As a Zillow Premier Agent, you’ll have access to the Zillow CRM, which can store buyer information and make it easy to deliver personalized service throughout the buying process.
Engage buyers
Open houses are a great way to engage with leads. Try to understand who the buyer is and where they are in the buying process. Have some simple questions prepared:
- “Have you been looking for a while?”
- “Are you viewing lots of homes today?”
- “For you, what’s the most important feature in a home?”
If they say they’re just looking, offer up an alternative home to compare. Describe how it’s different, how it shows or why it’s priced the way it is. Demonstrate that you’re knowledgeable about the area. Continue the conversation if the buyer seems receptive.
If you sense they’re not working with an agent, offer them your business card or consider asking them to come to your office to talk about the basics of home buying. People like to get free information, but only if it’s offered without pressure.
Have open house flyers on hand
One open house idea is to have some flyers or pamphlets available with high-quality images and basic home facts so visitors can take one as a reminder. Include a notes section at the bottom and have some pens handy so prospective buyers can jot down things they liked and any questions they have.
Make attendees feel at home
When preparing for an open house, make attendees feel welcome and at home. Here are some tips for your next real estate open house:
- Roll out a red carpet (literally).
- Bake chocolate chip cookies to give out (this will also make the house smell great).
- Put a kid’s movie on the television to accommodate families coming through.
- If it’s game day for a local team, put the game on.
- Have a barbecue in the backyard and serve hot dogs, lemonade and ice cream.
- Open all the curtains to let in natural light.
Use these open house tips to help make your open houses appeal to buyers. Once you establish a solid routine, you’ll be able to obtain more leads, shorten your homes’ time on the market and provide better customer service.
