You spruced up the curb appeal and decluttered the house, but a clean house alone is the bare minimum. You’ve used your social selling skills to mass-market across the internet, and the price is right. These are all vital first steps in getting a listing noticed, but hosting an open house is still a terrific way to attract potential buyers. You need open house ideas that are engaging, and enjoyable—and make a great first and leave a lasting impression.
Whether it makes sense or not, home buyers do care how a place feels. Your open house doesn’t need to be perfect, but it does need to be well organized. The best way to do this is to have a theme and stick with it. Here are a few suggestions to draw in plenty of interested buyers
1. Guidebook
No one is really going on a trip, but you want people to move through the house smoothly during the showing and absolutely fall in love with it. What is a must-have on any road trip? A map, of course. You’ll want to hit all the highlights on your journey.
This can be as simple or complex as you want. Make a list of key features of the house and property you want to draw the most attention to and print it out on some interesting paper. You don’t need to be super creative for this one. You want it to look tidy and presentable without spending much, if any, money on it. Most programs have built-in templates that will make your “itineraries” look professionally made.
2. Partner with a Local Business
Have some buzz around the property with a shot of caffeine from a local coffee shop. Or some comfort food from a local pizzeria. This way you can partner with local shops. You’ll have a secondary local presence and will make the open house seem more personal than business like. You can offset advertising costs, if need be.
The vendor can promote the event at their location, and you’re advertising them with the date of the open house. You can apply the same principle to other local vendors and get them to donate food, drinks, or products in exchange for your presenting their shop.
3. Cocktail Party
No one is suggesting luring potential buyers with alcohol; instead, this theme creates the atmosphere of a cocktail party. Any successful cocktail party includes people first, then drinks, music, and food—with a touch of class and sophistication. Spruce up areas around the home that are pleasing to the eye and draw people to the best features. Inspire conversation with tantalizing treats and freebies that will make people feel welcomed and wanted. Small, inexpensive, bar-height tables, made up well with easy to find party items located at the starring locations of the home or property will get the party rolling.
4. Hold a Raffle
Have a raffle at your open house for prizes people can use—like a professional house cleaning, a restaurant gift card, or even a free home value estimate. Asking local businesses to donate a service, or product will familiarize potential buyers with the area and make them feel like they’re already a part of the local community. This could make for a more interesting event without the standard sign-in list at an open house.
5. At Home
This theme is all about feeling comfortable and at home. Crafting something that is warm and inviting characterizes this event. The scent of freshly baked cookies, soothing music, and comfort food will create the feel that potential buyers are walking into a cozy place where they can relax and let their guard down. When choosing items for this theme, think about how you want a moment of being snuggled up by a fire with a good book or cup of cocoa feels.
You want to encourage people walking through the home to settle in and enjoy themselves. Adding unobtrusive touches like flowers, cookies, and candles to create a soothing mood. You want people to feel comfortable so that when they leave they will associate good feelings to the experience and ultimately, the home.
Conclusion
Open houses are one of the fun, less stressful parts of selling a home. You get to be creative and draw on your skills, experiences, and resources. While the practice of an open house is looked upon as conventional, yours doesn’t have to be ordinary. Integrate some of the ideas above, or make your own theme to create fun, informative events that inspire lots of offers.
