This post comes to us from the Obeo blog:

April 20-21 is the National Association of REALTORS® Nationwide Open House Weekend. REALTORS® from coast to coast will host the nation's largest open house weekend of the year. This is going to be a great opportunity for you to connect with consumers in your community!

Here are some pretty amazing open house statistics from the National Association of REALTORS®:

• 45% of buyers used an open house in their home search in 2012
• That stat is even higher for repeat buyers, who are more likely to visit open houses than first time home buyers.
• Mid income buyers are mostly likely to find their home through an open house (think about this stat when choosing which listings to open this weekend).
• Southern home buyers are more likely to find their home through an open house than buyers in any other region.

With real estate inventories low in most markets and the number of buyers growing, this could be one awesome Open House Weekend! A successful open house starts with attracting the right buyers. So get in touch with your target audience and let them know about your open houses. See Page 2 for a few helpful tips.

• Take out a classified ad. Usually, we would advise against print advertising. But when marketing an open house, newspaper classified ads still work well.
• Lots of signs. Put signs and balloons up all around the neighborhood. Not only will it help visitors who are not familiar with the neighborhood find the open house, it may bring in some drive-bys as well.
• Go online. Think about places where your audience hangs out, and ask permission to share your open house information. Linkedin Groups, Facebook Groups, community pages and calendars, and association websites.
• Craigslist. Craigslist is very popular with house hunters and can be a fabulous way to market your open house.
• Tell friends and neighbors. Send out all your open house dates in your monthly newsletter. That way all your sphere is alerted. Go speak with the neighbors and let them know in advance.
• Put up flyers. It may sound a bit old fashioned, but it might be worth the effort. Hang flyers on bulletin boards in neighborhood grocery stores, gyms etc.
• Use your Virtual Tour. Don't forget that your open house dates and times can be added to your Obeo virtual tour. That way, online viewers are automatically invited to your open house!

Best of luck with this year's National Open House Week!

To view the original article, visit the Obeo blog.

Further Reading

Want more info on holding effective open houses? You got it! The following articles will get you moving in the right direction.

• Collect leads on your tablet with apps like BrightOpen and Open Home Pro
• Learn How To Have A Modern Open House
• Your safety is important! See 10 Tips for a Safe Open House