Are open houses worth the effort if you seldom get an instant offer? Some real estate professionals argue that they’re a waste of time. However, open houses can provide valuable benefits besides finding potential buyers. With our list of unique open house ideas, you can leverage open houses to generate high-quality leads.
At Local Leader®, we give agents the knowledge, tools, and resources to rise to the top of their local market. Keep reading for ideas and strategies to generate leads at your next open house. For more tips to get your business going, check out our guide to getting a real estate listing.
1. Make It Easy to Sign In to Your Open House
Sign-in sheets give you the information you need to follow up with your open house guests. You can set up a sign at the front door with a link to fill out the form on a mobile device. Just remember to have pens and paper for old-school guests.
2. Live Stream the Open House
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have live-streaming features you can use to show off your open house event to thousands of people online. Promote the live stream ahead of time with 15-second Instagram or Facebook stories that include the open house time and pictures of the listing.
3. Build Hype with Marketing
Plan a marketing campaign at least three days before the open house to generate interest in your listing. You can create social media posts that showcase the home and neighborhood and drop off flyers at properties in the area. Another idea that is often even more effective is to use your local community leaders to help spread the word. Are you involved with the local church, community center, or even a popular local business? Help them help you by spreading the word.
4. Greet the Neighbors at Your Open House
Some real estate professionals suggest you notify the neighbors of the upcoming open house to warn them about increased traffic. However, many agents don’t directly invite the neighbors. This can be a mistake. This is because neighbors have a vested interest in who moves into their community, so they could tell their family and friends about the opportunity. What’s more, they’ll appreciate your thoughtful gesture, which helps your brand image, and many will show up without a heavy-handed request.
5. Use QR Codes
One of the best open house ideas is to embrace technology. You can use QR codes during an open house to drive website traffic or provide a paperless sign-in form. With many restaurants using QR codes in place of menus, most people know the drill when they see one these days. From there, you can automatically add the leads to your customer relationship management software.
6. Highlight Unique Features
If you want your listing to stand out, pick at least three compelling features to highlight in your marketing materials and during the open house. Perhaps there’s a secret door in the hallway or a built-in sauna in the main bathroom. Think about what features would make people say, “I’ve got to see this.”
7. Record a Walk-through and Post It Online
Walk-throughs give people a taste of the listing to help them decide whether they want to attend the open house. You can be strategic with your video, recording when there are lots of people if it’s a listing that’s great for parties or keeping it low-key if the house is family-focused.
8. Take Pictures with People in the House
People tend to want what others want, so taking pictures with lots of people checking out the listing can pull in any buyers experiencing FOMO. You can use pictures or videos from previous open houses to promote the next one or live stream the event on social media.
9. Partner with Brands and Influencers
Partnering with popular brands or influencers is an effective way to grab attention. You can host a brand’s special event and invite influencers to share it with thousands to millions of followers on their social media pages.
10. Work with Other Real Estate Agents
You can volunteer to do open houses for another real estate agent to get experience in an unfamiliar market and gather leads. Alternatively, you can combine your resources and throw an open house with double the flair.
11. Hosts Giveaways with Tempting Prizes
Who doesn’t love free prizes? Giveaways and raffles can have people flocking to your open house if your prizes are tempting enough. Popular rewards include gift cards, electronics, and concert tickets. Raffles are also an opportunity to partner with local brands that offer discounts to open-house attendees.
12. Use Signs for Unguided Tours
You can’t be everywhere at once, but you can plant signs around the house to highlight noteworthy features and give descriptions of rooms. If the listing is confusing to navigate, signs also help the guests view the whole property.
13. Give Out Complimentary Gifts with Your Branding
Giving away small gifts and souvenirs with your branding and contact information raises awareness and generates leads. Whether it’s a free pen or magnet with your name and number, people love getting free stuff and might remember you when buying or selling a house.
14. Choose Strategic Open House Hours
Many real estate agents host open houses in the afternoon, but you can catch the after-work crowd if you plan yours between 5 PM and 8 PM. For greater effect, create a relaxing atmosphere and give the open house a “happy hour” feel.
15. Wow Guests with Experiential Marketing
Experiential marketing involves creating an interactive experience for your open house guests. For example, you could host live music, a luxury car show, an exclusive dinner, or another memorable event. Exciting experiences give visitors a positive association with the listing and your brand.
16. Remember to Follow Up With Your Open House Leads
The general rule is to follow up with guests the day after the open house. Call the visitors that seemed most interested in the listing or use predictive analysis software to find qualified leads. One idea that can help is to take notes during the open house. This will help you identify potential leads the next day.
Find Comprehensive Guides on All Things Real Estate
Our team at Local Leader® provides extensive resources for real estate agents to grow their businesses and build lasting relationships in their communities. If you want more guidance like this article on open house ideas, check out our article on what to bring to a listing appointment.
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