#45 of 50 Ways to Riches in Real Estate

#45 of 50 Ways to Riches in Real Estate - Open Houses

Open houses present many opportunities to spread your brand and increase your sphere of influence. It takes planning to get the most out of an open house. Below are a few thoughts and ideas that can help.

Start well ahead of the date of the Open House. Drive around the neighborhood and see what there is to see. Take a look at the homes around the one you will be showing. Take a look at the next street over in either direction. Look for things potential buyers might want to know about. Are there children playing in the neighbors yards? Is there a park close by? Where and how far away are the various schools? Is there a convenience store in the neighborhood? Take some notes, writing these things down, as well as any other things of interest you might notice. Look for places that might have bulletin boards and note where they are.

Then, you can go back home and spend a bit of time on the internet. Search for the street name the house is on and look for any news items that occurred there. Expand your search outward and look at the larger neighborhood for the same sort of thing, crime statistics, the location of emergency services like fire, police, and ambulances as well as the nearest hospital. Folks that come to the open house might want to know these things. Having the correct answer immediately makes you look good and enforces that you are a knowledgeable real estate professional.

Next, make some flyers, colorful so they are eye-catching, short and sweet so folks can read it at a glance, try things like; "Open House!", "HAPPENING RIGHT NOW!" ,"Text "hoyle" to xxx-xxx-xxxx for an address link with directions","123 Hoyle Ave - right down the road from here!","You'd shop here if you lived here!". If you get a text message with the word "hoyle" send them a google maps link to the address. You just picked up a lead and you didn't even do anything, they freely gave you their cell number and permission to text them.

Now, the big day, get up early, dress professionally, and clip on that name tag. Start by driving to all the places you found where you could hang up flyers. Run in, hang your flyer, move on to the next place. When you get those all covered, head to the house.

Set up a table, at the back of the house, with your baked goods, coffee and water bottles (with those business cards!), hand-outs for the house and any others you might have or want to sell, etc. Then lock the place up and head to the neighbors, all of them. Knock on their door, give them your card, tell them about the open house and invite them to stop by for coffee and baked goods. Those that aren't home, you can leave a card on their door with a flyer and a personal note "Just wanted to say Hello, feel free to stop by the open house!". If there are a lot of neighbors you can stagger the door knocking invites so you get a steady stream of curious neighbors.

Open houses are a resource for both buyers and sellers. Either type may visit an open house. You could possibly pick up a listing from one of the neighbors that you invited to the open house. Open houses can be very lucrative if you make the most of the opportunity.

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