Although most open houses are worked either at the behest of listing clients or as a means for agents to meet new buyer clients, Lead Generation through Open Houses is a fantastic means to find listing clients. Think about it, every buy is going to either be a current renter or a current owner – and if it’s the latter, they’ll most likely need to sell their current home before buying their new one. Here’s a quick checklist to help make your open houses successful.
Before the Open House:
- Schedule open house
- Give owner the Sellers’ Checklist
- Install the KW Mobile Search App on your phone and be prepared to share it
- Check if electricity/water is on
- Do marketing activities (post online and door knock the neighborhood)
- Make Information Packets specific to neighborhood, pricing, financial information, etc.
- Order food and drinks (if sellers agree) and pick up
- Set out food/drinks (cookies in kitchen area only)
- Place signs, balloons, and directional arrows
- Place very visible sign, balloons in yard of open house
- Remove debris from front of house
- Check front yard and entrance
- Turn on all lights in house, including closets
- Unlock back door
- Adjust temperature
- Open drapes
- Place fliers and business cards in entry area
- Set out sign-in sheet in entry area
- Turn on soft music
- Check bathrooms and close toilet lids
- Verify that valuables and prescription drugs are not accessible
- Have Information Packets ready, but not in sight
- Check house and front and back yards (including doors and fences) for security
- Check phone battery charge
- Ask seller to board animals or take them with them
- Review and practice scripts
During the Open House
- Ask guests to sign in
- Greet and build rapport with each guest, including children
- Ask open-ended qualifying questions
- Arrange follow-up appointments
- Make notes about guests’ real estate needs
- Replenish food and drinks
- Watch for safety issues
After the Open House
- Put house back in original order
- Close drapes
- Turn off music, lights, and reset temperature
- Collect all packets, signs, and cards
- Leave thank-you note and feedback for seller
- Note areas for improvement
- Update your database, add appointments to your Pipeline Tool, and click on the “+” sign on your CGI page to update your appointment count
- Send thank-you notes to all neighbors
- Call and email all visitors
Doing lead generation through open houses on a regular basis will constantly put new prospects, many of whom will be seller prospects into your database. Providing value to those prospects and regularly communicating with them is what turns them from prospects to clients.
