According to a study by the National Association of REALTORS®, 45% percent of buyers said they use open houses as part of their home search. Its a fact, that open houses help drive people to your home. And if you want to sell your house, the more people who see your home, the better.
It pays to know a few tricks of the trade. Here are some tips from your team at GoToFSBO.com
Check out the competition
- Visit other open houses in your neighborhood. Learning about your competition can only help you. See how other homes are staged and listen to what the Agents say. Make note of the features they point out — they know what today’s buyers are looking for. As you walk through, try to listen to buyers’ reactions.
- Open houses are traditionally held on non-holiday Sundays. Find out when nearby homes are holding open houses, so you can benefit from the foot traffic.
- Advertise your open house online though the local MLS and social media.
Prepare a property description sheet
- Real estate agents hand out property description sheets to everyone who attends the open house. You should to. Important items to include on your info sheet are things like…
- Property address
- Asking price
- Your contact info (including a URL to your Web site or online ad)
- Brief description of the property
- Exterior and interior photos
- Maintenance or HOA fees (if applicable)
- Real estate taxes
- Total square footage
- Number of bedrooms
- Number of bathrooms
- Appliances that are included
- Any special features (fireplace, finished basement, etc.)
- Recent upgrades you made
- Neighborhood amenities (shopping, recreation, freeways, public transportation, etc.)
- School information
Get your home prepared
- Your home must be spotless and clutter-free. Double check your counters in the kitchen and bathrooms.
- Fix what’s broken.
- Place furniture in such a way to maximize the spacious feel of every room.
- If you have pets, consider leaving them with a friend or a boarding house for the day.
- Hide all valuables, medication and other personal items.
- Open Curtains and let the sun light in.
- Prepare a sign-in sheet for guests to fill out their name, phone number and email address.
Be a Courteous host
- As potential buyers visit the open house, you need to be ready to interact with them effectively. Don’t overwhelm them with being too focused on the sale. Think of yourself more as a source of information.
- Give your guest the freedom to see the place on their own.
- Hand each guest your property sheet.
- Invite guests to tour the home at their leisure and offer to answer any questions they may have.
- Get feedback from each guest, including their level of interest in the home, other homes they’ve seen and how the home is priced compared to others on the market.
- Offer light refreshments, such as cookies and bottled water.
- While it is certainly a good idea to make small talk with potential buyers, it’s important that you keep conversations neutral and stick to the facts. You don’t want to end up talking about that one annoying neighbor, or overselling how great your house is. What is a plus about the home could be a negative to your potential buyer. Dont end up sharing too much personal information about why you are moving.
Window Shoppers
- Accept that many potential buyers or neighbors are just window shopping. We call these folks Looky Lou’s. They’re curious, they’re exploring the neighborhood, or simply have nothing better to do.
Lastly, Take these steps to be sure your open house is safe one.
- Always try to have at least one other person with you at the open house.
- Check your cell phone’s strength and signal prior to the open house. Have emergency numbers programmed on speed dial.
- Make sure that if need to escape by the back door, you could escape from the backyard.
- When showing the house, always walk behind the prospect. Direct them; don’t lead them.
- Don’t assume that everyone has left the premises at the end of an open house. Check all of the rooms and the backyard prior to locking the doors.
