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6,392,889
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

I do them Saturday afternoons, no food, but plenty of door to door and online promotion to bring them in.

Dec 14, 2019 07:22 PM
Rainer
279,878
Dipti Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
On a team with Praful Thakkar

I am not a fan of Open Houses.

Jul 22, 2018 09:12 PM
Rainmaker
4,800,082
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

Weekends work best and the right home is the key.

Jun 08, 2018 07:53 AM
Rainmaker
630,251
Ajay Pandya
e-Merge Real Estate Unlimited - Columbus, OH
Realtor Ajay Pandya

I don't do it - my assistants do it.

Mar 05, 2018 11:06 PM
Rainmaker
938,407
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Diana, if there are other homes listed for sale we have contacted the other listing agents to see if they would like to have an open house at the same time to drive more traffic to the neighborhood and thus increase more people to our open house.

Mar 18, 2015 11:11 PM
Rainmaker
666,539
AJ Heidmann ~ CRS
McEnearney Associates, Inc. - Alexandria, VA
YOUR Alexandria & Arlington, VA Real Estate Expert

Diana - for public open houses, the local custom is Sunday from 1-4pm, or a shorter period within that time frame.  The only food/beverage that we bring is bottled water... there is no value that I can see in hungry people, that aren't interested in the home, grinding food into the carpeting.

Mar 14, 2015 08:47 AM
Rainmaker
634,482
Kathleen Luiten
Resort and Second-Home Specialist - Princeville, HI
Kauai Luxury Ocean Home Sales

On Kauai much of our open house traffic is tourists considering a purchase (or just curious) so any day of the week is good. We usually have water and maybe some snacks but nothing that will be wasted if turn out is low.

Mar 13, 2015 09:48 AM
Rainer
5,014
Gail Blanchette

I've had the best luck with Sunday afternoons here in Maine. Unless there is an important Patriots, Bruins, Red Sox etc game on. In which case, if you do an Open House you might want the have the TV on!

Mar 13, 2015 01:42 AM
Rainmaker
4,434,127
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

I haost open hosues on sunday afternoons either 1 to 3 or 2 to 4.

Mar 12, 2015 11:39 PM
Rainmaker
921,504
Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041
ReMax Realtec Group - Palm Harbor, FL
Making FLORIDA Real Estate EZ

Diana Foster my recommendation would be to re-evaluate the idea of an open house. Clearly you understand and have read, this activity has very little opportunity to be benefical to the home owner or you......unless.....

you have assigned a purpose for the open house. When the open house has a purpose, other than spending time, the likelihood of success skyrockets.

Purposes that are easy to identify and implement appropriate stratigies are:

#1. Get more listing
#2. Build a buyer list
#3. Creat a list
#4. Actually sell that house

If during the 1st week of the listing #1 IS the most appropriate goal. How you greet the visitor, the intro to the property, the self-select mechanism and the engagement at the exit and followup ARE YOUR LISTING PRESENTION. This will not happen by accident, but must be purposeful.

Conducting an open house IS a marketing activity. Before you would spend your money on a marekting activty, are you not compelled understand the purpose?

So, what is the purpose of your open house?
Is this house a proper open house  candidate?
Do you have a team that can particpate and keep everyone safe?

Mar 12, 2015 10:57 PM
Rainmaker
3,340,443
Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

Depends on what may be traditional for your market 12-2 on Sunday no more than 2 hours is best here.

Mar 12, 2015 09:00 PM
Rainmaker
4,571,456
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Diana -- I think the success depends on a combination of factors -- your market, the property in question and most importantly your attitude towards open houses.

If you like open houses and believe they work, that's terrific.  If you don't --- I suggest you find other marketing avenues but since you ask the question I will assume you find there is potential.

Exposure -- if possible online and offline.   

Timing -- weekends typically Sunday are best in our market with less traffic on Saturdays.  We still have broker caravans(during the week) of new listings in our market so I treat them as open houses for the public as well.

Food/drink -- sometimes....I'm not as much of a catered luncheon fan as some but bottled water and maybe some type of snack can make people linger a bit longer.  Check with your sellers if you are serving food as some people can be messy.

Other ideas:  lots and lots of directional signs to the property(providing it is allowed in your city).   

I also like to have the first showings of a new listing occur at the same time as an open house and announce it in advance --- it is not uncommon to have people waiting for a house to open.   It creates a nice synergy.

Good luck.

 

 

Mar 12, 2015 06:46 PM
Rainmaker
400,356
Jill Murty, Realtor - Orange County, CA
Movoto - Laguna Niguel, CA

Make sure you put the open house into your MLS so it feeds into the consumer sites.

Bring bottled water and snacks to open house.  For Broker Preview, I order a party platter from a popular restaurant and bake cookies.  For visitors who prefer something healthy to eat, I make protein bars and cut them into bite sized pieces.  

Advertise your open house on Craigslist, your Facebook page, LinkedIn, etc. and email an open house invitation to your mailing list.

You can print open house invitations and walk the neighborhood and door knock or drop the invites.

Make sure your signage is good so your open house is easy to find.

I've never found one weekend day to be superior to another.  I usually hold open house from 12:30-4:30 or thereabouts.

Good luck and remember that you make your own luck.

Mar 12, 2015 05:51 PM
Rainmaker
4,319,419
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

(And forgot to mention about food - fresh cookies do bring in people.)

I also had a raffle - $25 Gift Certificate from Restaurant.com - however, you must promote the event.

Mar 12, 2015 02:05 PM
Rainmaker
4,319,419
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Diana Foster Sunday 11-1 has worked best for me.

I still believe, it's a matter of town, community and other activities around that time for people. Weather does play a great role in it, too.

Mar 12, 2015 02:04 PM
Rainmaker
1,683,912
Larry Johnston
Broker, Friends & Neighbors Real Estate and Elkhart County Subdivisions, LLC - Elkhart, IN
Broker,Friends & Neighbors Real Estate, Elkhart,IN

Open houses both Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 4,  Fresh baked cookies are always good.  Coffee too.

Mar 12, 2015 01:31 PM