MORE WAYS TO ATTRACT POTENTIAL BUYERS TO OPEN HOUSES: ADDITIONAL TIPS AND TRICKS TO GET BUYERS THROUGH YOUR DOORS

In my article, Getting Buyers to Visit Your Open House, I started off with some tips for getting people to visit your open house. If you weren’t directed here from that article, make sure to check it out as well to learn other answers in addition to these.
Here are some miscellaneous tips and advice.

 

Both at the house and on roads leading to the house, you can never have too many signs.

Copyright 2010 by Diana Parkhouse

• You Can Never Have Too Many Signs
  It is critical to have signs located not only on the road and in front of the house but on all the roads that could lead to the home, Make sure to start at the major roads that lead to the home. You might want to post them the day before and then add balloons on the day of the open house. Shiny balloons have been shown to attract buyers -- especially silver. Many agents say they get most of their traffic this way -- through signage.


• Have a banker or loan officer at the open house.
  Buyers may have questions that a financial expert can answer right away. It may be just the final piece they need to make an offer.


• Food, drinks, freebies, drawings, and raffles always attract buyers. The giveaways should correspond to the price of the home.
  • Give out decorative packets of candy.
  • Send buyers home with seed packets for flowers that buyers can plant in their new home (preferably this one). Add something like, “These would look great in planters on the back deck.” Encourage them to imagine planting the seeds in the new space.
  • Offer to pay for a free decorating consultation for their new home, moving and packing services, or a free staging consult if they still need to sell their current home.
  • Offer a gift certificate for a spa treatment or dinner at a popular local restaurant.
  • Present a gift card to a popular local retailer that sells décor so they can decorate this new home. Get them thinking about living in the space.
  • Offer to pay HOA fees for 6 months for the first buyers that comes in with a full price offer. 
  • Pay for cleaning or landscaping services for 6 months for homes without HOA fees.
    Put an expiration date on putting in the offer (say 30 days). Also, require the buyers to come to the open house to get the card to be able to redeem it. 
  • Think outside the box and research what works with your target buyers.

 

Refreshments always attract more people. Make sure to advertise they will be served in your ads.

Copyright 2009 by Ella Novak

• Make sure to check and double-check the date(s).
  Make sure there are no holidays, major sports events, or other activities that would keep people from coming.


• Check the forecast.
  If a major snowstorm, hurricane or other inclement weather is predicted, either reconsider or make sure to list a “rain date” on the flyers so people can mark their calendars. Implement the same plan on that day instead.

 

Make sure there are no major weather events headed your way, such as blizzards or hurricanes. 

Copyright 2012 by NASA Goddard Photo and Video

• Try to hook up with other agents who have listings in the neighborhood, area, or complex.
  If there are lots of open houses in one area, it will attract more buyers because they can see a lot of homes in a short amount of time, without have to drive far. Plus, if they are near each other, they are most likely homes the buyers would consider viewing.
  
  You might wonder why you should work with your competition? It’s always better to work cooperatively with local agents. It makes deals go smoother and there will be a time an agent might be able to help one agent out and vice versa. Plus, if the homes are in the same area, they are likely comparable and the buyers will mostly like view them all at some point anyway.

Some agents will do a mailing to a neighborhood that consists of target buyers or even the neighborhood of the open house. They will do this to advertise the open house. It’s also great if the agent recently sold a home in that neighborhood and can announce that sale and what it sold for, along with the invitation to be one of the first to see another home that just went on the market in the neighborhood. Also, even if neighbors do come, they will tell friends or family members. Homeowners would love to be able to choose who their new neighbors will be.

 

Consider mailing postcards to neighbors. You never know who know someone looking to buy. And wouldn't you rather choose your new neighbors?

Copyright 2005 by Doug Tammany

Think outside the box. Be creative. And ask family, friends, or co-workers what has worked for them in the past or with people they know who sold homes. Also ask them what would make them visit an open house.

I hope these ideas are not only helpful, but will help spark your own ideas, maybe even some unique to your situation.

One final note that's important to mention. Don’t be surprised if you get a lot of curious neighbors, people looking for design ideas, or people who just like to look at houses. But remember that these people might know people who fit the buyer profile for your house, so don’t think they don’t count. 

Just don’t host an open house with the expectation of receiving an offer or offers. It sometimes happens, but usually not. It still gets the word out, which is important. It's the first step and it gets the ball rolling.

Good luck! Send me your success stories and even those that may not have worked out the way you wanted. I'd be glad to give ideas and suggestions for the next one.