Preparing for a Sale – The “Event” Open House
An open house is an event that is done to promote your home and give potential interested buyers a special viewing. An open house needs to be an “event” and marketing the open house is imperative to the success. Weather you are a real estate professional or an owner selling their own home, there are some key things that will make an open house a success.
1. Your open house needs to have high visibility. There are many websites out there that can be used to market your open house. Open houses should be marketed on the real estate agents personal and company website. Some ‘For Sale By Owner’ websites also give you the option to advertise upcoming open houses. As important is having strategically placed signs to direct potential buyers to your open house. It is important to check with local authorities about placing signs and regulations prior to placing these signs. Some municipalities require you to obtain permitting for these signs, but it is worth it to get people directed to your open house.
2. Make it Green: Make sure that your home has the curb appeal that will leave buyers with the “wow” factor. Having a well manicured lawn that is vibrant and green is important. Having the right amount of color, flowers and trimmed shrubs is also critical. When a potential buyer pulls up to your open house they have to have the “wow” factor.
3. Cleaning your home and ensuring that it is staged for a party is important. Your guest will be walking every inch of your home and you will want to leave the right positive impression. A clean and staged home will give it a warm and welcoming appeal. You want them to remember your home as being clean and habitable. One of the best tips is to set up your dining room table as if you were having guests over for a dinner party. Put out your china and crystal and make the table look inviting, purchase flowers with lots of color as a centerpiece. As a side note, if you have pets send them with the neighbors or have someone take them out for the day.
4.Make sure you make this an event to remember. Having balloons, fresh baked cookies and a guest sign-in book are a minimum. Baking shows that the home is being used and the smell will tell their senses to keep looking. The guest sign-in book will give you an avenue to follow up with potential buyers. If you are selling your home yourself, have a friend join you. If you market the open house right, you should have a consistent flow of traffic. Have information printed about the home with color photos. They can take the literature with them when they leave. I recommend having a few ink pens available for your guest to take notes about the property.
The main thing is to have fun with the process. Having light background music is usually also a nice touch. Potential buyers need to see themselves living in the home. A home that is not inviting or is decorated like a hospital operating room will turn them off. From the time they pull up to your home to the time they drive away, they need to feel like they are at home. Setting the stage for the event is as important as the event itself.
Jason M. Jakus is a licensed realtor for Leisure American Realty, a full service Real Estate and Property Management company serving the beaches and surrounding areas of Lee County. Their office is located at 2450 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach FL 33931. For more information on this or any other real estate or property management subject contact Jason at 239.463.3178 or email RealtyInfo@LeisureAmerican.com.”