When it comes to selling homes, the open house is a critical part along the journey. And while you may think it is largely the responsibility of the real estate agent to recruit people to visit the house, to put up signage, advertise, and spread the word, it is also in your best interest as the seller to try to bring in a larger audience. In addition to the services for advertising that your agent provides, try some of the following to increase traffic to your open house to make it a success.
Promote Online
Your agent and real estate company will include your listing and open house times on their website, typically offering interested candidates the opportunity to sign up. In accordance with their policies however, you can also take your listing online. Create a Facebook event or post on your Instagram page. Invite friends from your online community, share on local community Facebook group boards, and even do a live feed with the information in your Instagram stories or Facebook Live. With the incredible and easy access to social media these days, there is no lack of easy methods for sharing!
Spread the Word
Start talking about the fact that you are selling your house — tell your neighbours, tell your colleagues at work, talk to your family and encourage them to talk about it as well. Perhaps you have a group that you meet up with, at the gym, for a weekly book club, or for weekend cocktails, and you can tell them about your recent decision to move. The more people that know, the more the word will spread around, and the more people you will have enquiring about the open house opportunity on your home!
Pick the Right Signage
In many cases, open house attendance comes down to the signs you are (or are not) using. Failure to have any signs means potential home buyers will not know where the house is, or when the open house is being held. Go overboard however, and it will come across as obnoxious and desperate, and this will also be a turn off. Put up signs in the days leading up to the open house, but not weeks in advance. On the day of the open house, be sure to have a sign outside of the house that is visible from the road so that potential buyers know where to go. In addition, have one at the end of the road or on a nearby turn off so that guests know how to get to the home. Once they arrive at your home, be sure that the yard is aesthetically pleasing and cleaned up and that they like what they see when they arrive.
While open houses do not always get the best reputation, if done right in the lead up and execution of the event, they can play a big role in the success of selling your home.
If you are in the market to sell your house, get a home sellers consultation with one of our real estate agents today. We would be more than happy to help organize the sale of your home with an open house!
