Do I like holding open houses? You bet!

It is my personal opinion that you can't "sell" a home to anyone.  You can expose it to them and tell people its good points, and they will decide where they want to raise their kids or retire or whatever.  It has to feel like THEIR home to them.  In order to get that exposure, I place it on broker/agent caravans through our local Association of Realtors, advertise it various places on line, distribute flyers to brokers, prospects, to my farm, to neighbors around it, and wherever I can, talk about it to people, and I hold it open.

Everyone who comes in is an opportunity for me to show off the features of the home and to ask them to send their friends and family members.  I laugh and chat with them, and enjoy myself.  If they aren't interested in that home, they often refer others to me for that home, or they call me when they are ready to move.

And, yes, I welcome the neighbors.  In fact, I often will walk door-to-door a few days before the open house, inviting the neighbors to the open.  I hand them an invitation with a flyer, and enclose one of my calendars or some other little gift, and I discuss the house with them and ask if they know anyone they would like to have as neighbors.  Many times, they will call their friends and family and invite people themselves, and I have gotten a number of interested parties that way.  I have sold homes that I have held open, and of course I have gotten clients at one open that I have eventually sold other homes to.

I also hold raffles (drawings), and I have begun to advertise that fact.  Everyone who attends one of my open houses during a month is entered into a drawing the first of the next month for a $25 gift certificate to a nice restaurant.  My entry blanks request names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and birthdays, and I ask them to check a box if they don't want me to send them any real estate information.  Most people fill them out completely and very few check that box.  Several will always ask to be signed up for my Client Portal to receive all new MLS listings that meet their needs.

Right after the first of the month, I send handwritten notes to every person who filled out an entry, and thank them for coming, tell them who won and what restaurant the gift certificate was for.  I enclose my card and remind them that I will be happy to answer any of their real estate questions.  I also send them my monthly newsletters and birthday cards on their birthdays.  In other words, I develop a relationship with them.  They get to know me, understand that they can trust me, and they not only come to me when they need a Realtor, but they try to help me sell that house and will refer me to others.  I have had some neighbors who come to one open house and bring friends to my next one and become almost "groupies", attending many of my open houses and bringing others.

All during the warm months, I have bottles of cold water at all open houses, as well as cookies or a big candy bowl.  My open houses are fun for me as well as for my guests, and I cannot think of any reason not to do them.  If at any time I don't have any listings, I call around to others in my office and ask if I can hold one of their listings open.  And perhaps best of all in these economic times:  it's FREE to hold an open house.

Do I like holding open houses?  You bet!

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.