By Sean Colón

An open house is an excellent way to showcase a home and attract potential buyers. But, as a realtor, you want to make sure you're making the most of this opportunity. In this blog post, we'll share our top tips for running a successful and effective open house that will impress potential buyers and help you make valuable connections.

Properly Preparing the Home for Sale

Before opening the doors to potential buyers, it's essential to properly prepare the home for sale. This means making sure the home is clean, decluttered, and depersonalized. You want to create an environment that allows potential buyers to envision themselves living there. Encourage your clients to remove any personal items, such as family photos, and to store excess furniture to make the home appear more spacious. Here is a free checklist you can use to get your listing looking its absolute best!

Networking at the Open House

An open house is not just an opportunity to showcase the home; it's also a chance for you to network with potential clients. Make sure you have business cards on hand and engage with everyone who comes through the door. Answer any questions they may have and offer to follow up with them after the open house. You never know who may be looking to buy or sell a home in the future, so it's essential to make a good impression.

Safety When Holding an Open House

Safety is crucial when holding an open house. Make sure you have a sign-in sheet for visitors and always keep an eye on who is in the home. It's also a good idea to have a colleague or assistant with you during the open house. This will help ensure that you're not alone with potential buyers and can focus on engaging with everyone who comes through the door. It’s also a great safety measure to make a sign-in sheet for guests at the open house. This will ensure you know who attended and if a guest is unwilling to sign or show id, you will know who to allow into your client’s home. Additionally, you may even consider holding a agent/broker only open house where you can have to opportunity to meet area agents to vet who is legitimately representing buyers.

Leverage Zillow’s Tools

Zillow’s Premier Agent is a program where real estate agents can pay to have their name and contact information displayed prominently on Zillow listings in a specific area. By utilizing this program, you can increase the chances of potential buyers seeing your listing and attending your open house.

To get started with Premier Agent, simply visit the Zillow website and sign up for an account. Once you've created an account, you can select the neighborhoods or zip codes where you want to advertise your open house. Zillow will then display your contact information on listings in those areas, making it easy for interested buyers to get in touch with you.

One of the great things about Premier Agent is that it allows you to track your leads and see how many people are viewing your listing. This information can be incredibly valuable as you plan future open houses and marketing efforts.

Professional Photography Attracts Potential Buyers

Professional photography is essential when it comes to showcasing a home online and attracting potential buyers to the open house. Make sure you invest in a professional photographer who can capture high-quality images that highlight the home's best features. These images can help attract more buyers and lead to higher offers.

In conclusion, hosting a successful open house is all about proper preparation, networking, safety, and professional photography. By ensuring that the home is properly prepared for sale, networking with potential clients, prioritizing safety, utilizing Zillow’s tools, and investing in professional photography, you can run an open house that will impress potential buyers and help you make valuable connections. So, roll out the welcome mat and get ready to showcase your client's home in the best possible light!

By the way, I help realtors improve their online presence by providing beautiful imagery of their listings. That is why I’ve created this FREE HOME PREP LIST for your clients to help their listings look their best. Feel free to share.