Wondering if anyone will show up for your Open House in the midst of the COVID pandemic?

You bet interested buyers will come…buyer demand is through the roof nationwide.

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Check out this photo of people in Florida waiting in line to take a look at this newly listed house. The agent hosting this open house obviously did all the necessary things to capture the attention of potential buyers and you can too.

Here’s a summary checklist to help you prepare for your next Open House in case you’ve not hosted an open house in a while:

Prior to the Open House date

  1. Post your Open House on your website AT LEAST ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE along with pricing, directions.
  2. Use social media to invite your sphere of influence.
  3. Invite the neighborhood to attend via social media and signage at neighborhood hot spots like the post office, market, community center, etc.
  4. Post an Open House ad on Facebook and the local newspaper.
  5. Ask a lender to prepare a closing cost estimate to help potential buyers calculate closing costs and monthly mortgage payments.
  6. Print out a buyer/guest sign-in sheet.
  7. Print copies of the appraisal, property blueprints, home inspection report, property condition disclosures, lot/property survey.
  8. Make sure to ask/tell the seller(s) to remove the pets (and all pet odors), garbage, indoor/outdoor clutter and personal objects prior to the Open House.
  9. Ask the sellers to have the house spotlessly clean, shining and completely de-cluttered – this includes bathrooms, kitchen (no dishes in the sink), mirrors, chandeliers, closets, pillows, bedspreads, windows, EVERYTHING.
  10. Think about inviting one of your colleagues to share the hosting responsibilities with you to make sure all your guests get the proper attention.

Day of Open House BEFORE People Show Up

  1. Bring a table or two to be placed at the entry and the kitchen for people to sign your guest sign-in sheet (make sure to bring plenty of pens – perhaps separate the pens in containers marked as “sanitized” and “used” so guests know you care about their safety and health) and copies of all relevant printouts about the property (appraisal, blueprints, inspection report, property description and pricing, etc.)
  1. Post an Open House sign at the front of the property.
  2. Post directional signs in the neighborhood so people know how to find the property.
  3. Have an attractive centerpiece on the dining or “prominent” table.
  4. If all rooms are not spotless, clean them as best as possible.
  5. Have separate area or table for snacks, beverages, cookies, etc. in the highlight room of the house.
  6. Make sure to have LOTS of your cards available to guests throughout the house and on all the tables you’ve set up as congregate spots in the property.
  7. Turn on ALL indoor lights, open ALL drapes/curtains, straighten all pillows and bedspreads.
  8. Make sure the house looks and feels welcoming.

When People Show Up

  1. Greet ALL guests. You never know who is a buyer, who those guests know and who they might refer to your property
  2. Ask ALL your guests to sign your guest sign-in sheet
  3. Tell ALL you guests where to find and take with them property information such as property displays, appraisals, etc.
  4. Invite your guests to wander the property at their own pace and remain available to them to answer any questions they may have.

No doubt you have additional items on your Open House checklist. Dive in. Enjoy your guests. Follow up immediately with ALL your potentials. And send Tim and Julie a photo or two of your next Open House.

Also read: First There Were Concierge Doctors – Now There Are Concierge Real Estate Agents, Will the 2020s Change Now We Buy Homes?, Podcast: Powerful Scripts That You Must Know NOW! (Part 3)

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