What Successful Agents Do Before, During, and After the Open House

Open houses are important to agents for a number of reasons. Hosting an open house offers agents the chance to showcase their seller's listing, build relationships with prospective clients, and maybe even net an offer on the property.

The most successful real estate professionals know that getting the most from your open house requires more than just cleaning the house and placing an ad in the paper.

It's important to have a strategy for each phase of the open house: before, during, and after.

Before: Promotion and Presentation

Your "Before" open house plan should cover all of the bases by focusing on the advertising of the event, as well as preparation and presentation of the property.

Promote online and off

Cover all your bases when it comes to the promotion of your open house. Sure, Twitter and Facebook are all the rage right now, but newspaper ads, flyers, and open house signs are still powerful tools to let the neighborhood know about your upcoming event.

Keep up appearances

This one is pretty obvious, but it bears repeating. A home that isn't sparkling clean can really deter visitors from buying. Make sure your property is scrubbed down, the lawn is trimmed, and any pet-related items (dog beds, litter boxes) are hidden away. No buyer wants to see a soiled litter box when they're trying to imagine their own life in a home.

Secure all valuables

With multiple strangers filing through a property, theft is always a possibility. Make sure to keep an eye on all visitors, as well as preemptively store and secure all valuables. This includes checking with your sellers to make sure that any expensive or potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals have been properly locked away.

During: Have your homework done

It's the day of the open house! Make sure you're dressed to impress and prepared with the right materials to give to leads and potential buyers.

Have information on-hand

Make sure you have all the necessary handouts printed and ready to go. Mortgage breakdown? Check. School district info? Check. You'll also need to be prepared with knowledge of the neighborhood, the home's Walk Score, business cards, and any other info buyers might want to know.

Don't forget to have other goodies to hand out too. Water bottles, snacks, and beverages will put buyers at ease in the home and make them feel more comfortable.

Collect lead info and emails

It can be difficult to get open house visitors to divulge personal information on a sign-in sheet, but taking down their contact info is one of the most important things you can do during an open house. It helps you reconnect with potential leads and reach out to the couple that seemed so enamored with your seller's property.

Using a digital sign-in app like Open Home Pro® (free, iOS/Android) makes gathering lead information much easier, and it can also help you manage your leads when the open house is over.

Know the floor plan

Having an in-depth knowledge of the home's layout can help you answer questions during the open house, and it can also keep you safe. Be familiar with all emergency exits and have a few different escape route options, just in case.

After – Looking ahead

The open house is over, but that doesn't mean your work is done. The time immediately after the open house is best spent assessing your success and refining your strategy to get this listing sold quickly.

Follow up quickly

Don't dilly dally when it comes to lead follow-up. Try to wait no more than 24 hours before contacting open house visitors, so the property is still fresh in their minds. Include the price of the property, important listing details, and most importantly, your contact information.

If you downloaded the Open Home Pro® app to collect leads during the open house, it sends an automatic follow-up email to all your visitors, leaving you precious time to tackle the bigger items on your To Do list.

Give your seller a full report

No one is more invested in your open house than the seller of the property. Make sure to keep them informed on any major developments (showing appointments, offers, visitor comments) with a full report. They'll be pleased to know how the open house went, and generating the report can help you get an overall perspective on the success of the event.

Solidify your next steps

Now that the open house is over, you've followed up on your leads, and your seller is fully informed, it's time to reassess and evaluate. Was the open house a success? Would you do something differently next time? Armed with visitor feedback, you now have the tools you need draw up a gameplan to get this home sold. Start to plan another open house, communicate with interested buyers, and reassess your marketing strategy. You're ready to go!

To view the original article, visit the HomeFinder.com blog.

Further Reading

• Hosting an Open House? Don't Forget Your iPad
• 5 People You Will Meet at Your Next Open House
• Top 5 Open House Prep Tips
• How to Host a Broker Open House for a Luxury Listing