Blog Posts

May
21
13 Open House Marketing Strategies You're Not Using But Should
By Nithya_CML

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Have you given up on open houses?


Are you tired of spending entire afternoons sitting alone, picking at a cheese platter, frustrated with all of the time and money you just wasted promoting the open house?


Are you convinced that open houses don’t really work?


I don’t blame you! Waaay back in the day when I was an agent’s assistant I was forced to sit in my fair share of under-promoted and empty open houses.


Not exactly my idea of a fun weekend.


As you know, I’m not a massive fan of lame and outdated marketing tactics. However, with some modern tweaks to your strategy, I do know that you can make hosting open houses worth your time and actually generate both buyer AND SELLER leads!


If you are at least open-minded to the idea of getting clients from your open houses, make sure you check out these 13 more modern strategies for marketing an open house.


***WARNING*** This post is SO chock full of juicy and actionable tips that it is also really long too! If you don't have time to read it now, make sure you save it for later or use the image below to Pin it to your Pinterest.


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1. Livestream Your Open House On Facebook


In my article The Real Estate Agent’s Handbook To Facebook Live, I talked about how live feeds have become one of the most powerful ways of getting the attention you so desperately desire from people online.


Check out these stats about Facebook Live that prove I’m not making this up:




  • Facebook Live Videos Are Watched 3x Longer Than Videos That Aren’t Live Anymore




  • Users Comment On Facebook Live Videos At 10x The Rate Of Regular Videos




  • 82% of viewers prefer live video to social media posts




  • Companies using video experience 41% more web traffic from search engines than non-users do




Therefore, it makes perfect sense that you should go Live during your open house to get more eyes on the property, as well as, you.


Of course, I know that many of you have the tendency to feel nervous about going Live and prefer to have the option of pre-recording which is why I suggest that you sign-up for One Stream which will allow you to make previously recorded videos appear as though they are streaming live!


How flingin’ flangin’ cool is that?!


If you are brave enough to actually do the stream Live during the open house there is another benefit you may not have thought of…


Social proof!


Think about it, people want what other people have and want. Therefore, if you go Live while your open house is full of other people, it will show those watching just how desirable this listing really is!


This should come as no surprise but my main man Gary Vee also believes this is a necessary part of your open house marketing strategy. Check out what he has to say about the idea of going Live from your next open house:


“I can envision a hotshot real estate agent streaming live from an open house while talking to potential clients. Potential buyers will be able to view the house remotely and ask relevant questions that the realtor can respond to and show in real time. Think about all the house-showcasing programs that took television by storm in the late 90s and into the 2000s. It’s MTV cribs made even more compelling with live streaming.”


2. Have Attendees Sign-In Digitally


Going back to open house marketing 101, everyone knows that you have to make everyone that attends sign-in so that you can continue to stay in touch, market to them, and get their feedback to apply for your growth.


However, if you have done this even once, you know what a pain in the ass it is to try and read other people’s sloppy handwriting while trying to import them into your database.


The difference between one little letter could be the difference between a future client or a waste of space in your database!


Instead, download one of the many apps out there, like Open Home Pro from Placester, that will allow people to sign-in digitally and save you tons of time and frustration.


3. Use Voicemail Marketing To Invite Your Network


I want to preface this section by warning you that it is important that you comply with DNC lists but if you are looking to promote an open house voicemail marketing is very powerful!


Using an app like Slydial, you can pre-record a voicemail and send it out to your database to let them know they’re invited to come check out your amazing new listing at the upcoming open house.


As always I’ve got the hook-up for you! When you click here to sign up for Slydial AND use referral code 44107f100, you will get 100 free ringless voicemails to market your next open house! Make sure you use that referral code to get the freebie.


4. Virtually Stage The House


Here is one I am willing to bet you haven’t quite thought of…


Even if you have already had the listing professionally staged, that doesn’t mean that it will appeal to everyone.


However, you could help open the eyes of the potential buyers by providing virtual staging photos of the property in a variety of different styles.


If you can afford to have some of the images printed to display during the open house that would be great. However, also offer to email or text the various versions to attendees.


Using a virtual staging service like this one is a very inexpensive way of dressing up a listing and helping everyone envision themselves living there the way they would want to.


5. Use Door Hangers In The Neighborhood


I’m no true fan of door-knocking. Not even close.


However, if you are planning on beating the streets in your listing’s neighborhood, I love the way that All Things Real Estate has created engaging print products.


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Many real estate agents and brokers strongly believe that door hangers are an effective way of keeping your brand in front of your farm and getting the attention of nosy neighbors.



At the end of the day, your clients want to know that you are going above and beyond to do everything that you can to get their property sold. When they drive through their neighborhood and see that you have not only gotten the word out online but have let the neighbors know, they’ll be pleased.


6. Distinguish The Listing With 3 Key Factors


One of the biggest challenges that every agent faces when it comes to marketing a listing or an open house is getting people to pay attention to it. Even harder than that is holding that attention once you get it.


To be successful with making any listing stand out, you need to identify what factors make that property unique and then clearly communicate those factors in your marketing.


Take the time to go through the MLS and research what features exist in your listing that is not being seen in the comps and then exploit them for all that they are worth.


Are the bedrooms bigger?


Are the ceilings taller?


Is there something over-the-top and unusual?


Make sure you are always ready to rattle off what makes this property so special when you are promoting the open house and when talking to everyone that attends.


Oh, and be sure you talk about them when you do that Facebook Live we talked about earlier!


7. Offer Neighbors An Exclusive Sneak Peek


Getting the neighbors in the door of your open house is always valuable. Especially, when this neighborhood is within your target geographical farm.


Although we are firmly in the digital age of real estate, many still believe that a face-to-face exchange is more valuable than 100 emails.


While attracting a large turnout for the open house itself is our main goal today, inviting the neighbors for an exclusive sneak peek of the property is a phenomenal way of getting the property exposure and leveraging the networks of the neighbors to get heads in the door during that open house.


Be sure that you are actively engaging with everyone that attends that preview and ask them for the names and contact info of anyone that might be interested so you can invite them to attend the open house.


8. Use Instagram Stories To Promote The Property & Neighborhood


As you know, I am a huge fan of using Instagram to connect with your ideal clients and build a formidable business by means of inbound marketing.


If you have read my Definitive Guide To Instagram Marketing For Realtors, then you know I love the idea of taking people on tours of the neighborhood and the house through on your story.


This is a visual and engaging way of giving people an insider’s look and feel of what it would be like if they bought the property.


Use your story to take them on a walking tour, show off the community amenities, and really make those unique features we talked about before shine.


You can also use your story to promote the open house and your Live feed on Facebook by providing a link to the feed.


By the way, if you struggle with what to write in your Instagram captions, you can grab tons of free inspo right here.


9. Hold A Raffle Or Contest For Attendees Or Promoters


Really want to build up the anticipation for your open house and make sure that everyone you invite shows up?


Hold a contest or raffle with a prize that people will really want!


These days, people often opt to check out a property online rather than go out of their way on a Sunday afternoon to go to an open house. However, if you offer the chance to win something really cool, they will deem it more than worth their time.


My favorite and by far the most economical way to do this is to offer hotel stays and restaurant gift cards through AdvertisingBoost. For a small fee, you can give away an unlimited amount of these freebie vouchers for open house prizes, closing gifts, or just use them for yourself!


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In fact, as you can see above I sent my parents for a week-long getaway last year and I am taking my mother for a girl’s trip to Orlando using one of the free vouchers from AdvertisingBoost.



Make sure that you make it known in your advertising that you will be giving away the largest prizes to those that attend and sign-in at your open house and perhaps offer a smaller prize for people that opt-in to your lead capture.


I also suggest that you broadcast the drawing Live on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube to get even more eyes on you and your listing.


10. Prepare Marketing Bundles For Attendees


Since your open house is going to be packed thanks to all of these juicy tips, it might be a challenge for you to be fully available to personally answer every question that buyers have while they are there. However, you don’t want those people don’t leave with unanswered questions which prevent them from making an offer.


To fix this issue I suggest that you prepare branded information packets which include:



This way, people walk away from your open house with tons of helpful information all about the property and the surrounding area. Even if they aren’t in love with this particular house, they may ask you to help them purchase another house within that same neighborhood.


Cha-ching!


11. Create An Immersive Experience For Luxury Listing Open Houses


There is no doubt about the fact that luxury listings deserve and require special attention in all of the marketing.


This is also true for the open house.


In my article How To Sell Luxury Listings Faster Using Creative Content, I talk about the fact that you want to “help potential buyers imagine themselves indulging in a life of splendor, opulence, and dissipation, as a result of buying your listing.”


When hosting an open house at a luxury property, you need to go above and beyond to help buyers feel fully immersed in the lifestyle that comes with that home.


Consider implementing the following ideas to knock the socks off buyers:




  • Have models serve fine champagne and hors-d’oeuvres




  • Rent a luxury yacht for waterfront listings




  • Stage exotic cars in the garage or at the front entrance




  • Use uplighting to make the house pop from the street




If you will be hosting this open house early in the listing process, make sure you have a photographer or videographer attend to capture images of the luxury cars, yacht, etc. to use in a promotional video of the property.


Bold videos which embody the lifestyle of the property like this one usually go viral, get tons of press, and attract tons of new clients:







12. Market Your Open House For At Least 3 Days


If you are going to take time out of your life to sit in an open house, you’re crazy not to invest the proper amount of time to promote it ahead of time.


Yes, people pop into open houses spontaneously. However, you will be far more successful by taking at least three days to get the word out to the world.


Remember, while we are always happy when the open house sells the home the main point is to generate more leads for your pipeline.


The more time and effort that you invest into properly promoting your open house, the more buyers you will attract and the more attention you will grab for sellers in search of a listing agent worthy of listing their own home.


I actually prefer that you give yourself even more time so you can do everything we have talked about today including the door-knocking, online marketing, prepare the information packets, etc..


If try to throw together an open-house last minute, your shotgun efforts will show in the end result.


13. Strategically Schedule Your Open House For The Best Days And Times


Speaking of scheduling, consider choosing creative yet strategic times for your open house. Believe it or not, scheduling your open houses at off-hours times can really pay off as long as you nail the promotion.


Here are some strategic open house scheduling suggestions:




  • Weekend Open Houses 9-11 am or 3-5 pm While everyone else does 1-3pm,




  • Weekdays – Thursdays 6-8 pm Works especially well during the summer hours has also netted great foot traffic




  • Any day power hours/happy hours – 5-6, 7-8 pm any day




  • Choosing hours more conducive the buyers' lifestyle and schedule has worked.




Need Help Getting More Clients From Your Open House Marketing?


As your trusted real estate content marketing guru and real estate copywriter, I am here to help you plan and prepare all of the content that you need to make the most of every open house, as well as, everything else you need to grow your real estate business.


Here are just a few of the services I provide to help you attract your ideal real estate clients:




  • Property Descriptions For The MLS




  • Neighborhood Profiles




  • Custom Real Estate Blogs




  • Real Estate Facebook Ads (custom copywriting)




  • Custom Real Estate Email Drip Campaigns




  • Real Estate Website Copy




To learn more about my real estate copywriting services, book a free consultation with me here.