I agree that it is better to get to know the neighbors and make the seller happy than selling that house that day. Anything that keeps the vistors in the house so you may get to know them be it cakes or hot coffee in a mug they can't take with them. If I hold an open house I aways invite the neighborhood by mail about mid week.

I posted on this subject a while back.  http://activerain.com/blogsview/99038/Do-You-Use-This

Hope this helps!

i would say the biggest impact I have personally seen was when my team handed out over 2000 open house flyer's the day before our open house for a Real Estate Agent.  We canvased the immediate area only, families that live in the community want their friends and relatives to live close to them.  This is a great target audience for the flyer.  Another trick is on the pamphlet staple a plain rubber band on the corner to attach around homeowners front door knobs. (Also preventing some not so needed garbage in our streets.) 

The day of the open house was very successful compared to almost a no show two weeks prior.  Hit those streets one day before hand with some elbow grease, possibly slave son and daughter labor and some underpaid associates helping you.

Cheers to your success,

I've done the cookie thing and it really does get you a contact when the kids come in. While they are eating at the table it give the parents a chance to walk around with out the kids. They love the break and remember you.

Francisco, knocking on all the doors in the neighborhood to invite them prior to holding the open house is very effective.  And sending out Just Sold postcards to the neighbors with an invitation on the back to the big day works great.  Thanks for sharing the idea of open house for a buyer.  Great idea!

Christin - Thank you for your input, what do you think about staging? lots of agents think, a great staged property, sells by itself.

Francisco,

I believe that the longer you can get potential clients to 'linger', the better the chance that they will 'connect' to the house.  I've been to houses where coffee and Dunkin' Munchkins were served and that seemed to work well.

As a stager, I don't subscribe to that whole 'baking cookies' thing!  If the house is presented well and people have an opportunity to 'experience' the surroundings, that should help with the sale.

VAL

Francisco - Staging is absolutely the best marketing you can do!  Yes, I may a little bias (o.k. a  lot), but if a picture is worth a thousand words, then staging is definitely going to make a bigger impact for you.  Let's think about it:

1) Your pictures will obviously look better

2) Potential buyers linger longer in a staged home (oohs and aahs, comfortable, ideas, etc)

3)Staging creates a connection between the buyer and the property

Jessica Hart wrote a blog a few months ago with 6.5 reasons to stage

OK - I could go on and on, but I won't.  I'm not exactly sure where Daly City is, but I would suggest you find a stager in your area and talk to them.  Find out statistically what kind of an impact staging is making in your city. 

If you need help finding one, just let me know or put out the blog  to A/R - I'm sure you'll get the response you're looking for.

I saw a big sign in front of a house not too long ago that said "Nosy Neighbor Open House" with the date and time and invitation to the open house - at first I thought it was kinda offensive -"nosy" is not what I want to be associated with but hey - we want to see the property! But it was a cute sign looked hand painted with these big eyes on it and it sure grabbed the attention.  The open house had a great turnout too and really your neighbors are some of the best referrals for the area because they have a vested interest in who buys the house.

I'm with Calie on the staged open house - we stagers know how to get an emotional response from prospective buyers.  If its looks fabulous from the outside & you have done your work in advertising, once they step inside the oohs & ahhs continue. As an agent people will seek out your properties because they show the best.

What a lot of solid suggestions!  Since this 'trial run' staging we're doing will have an open house as finale, I'm going to make use of ALL these suggestions.

I'm new here and am finding a wealth of information that will prove most helpful in the coming weeks.

So glad I stumbled upon this site!

Cindy

Last year I had a listing that was a nice looking house, but felt a bit cold (emotionally.)  I added a lot of soft staging touches, burned Cookie-scented candles (I sort of hid them, so their effect was there, but it was subliminal) and I played mellow Jim Brickman piano music on two boomboxes that I also hid.  I burned a second copy of the CD so I'd have 2.  I   As the home was a two story, I started the downstairs CD player and then ran upstairs and hit start on the second.  The effect was of seamless background music.  

Yes , balloons are great, just make sure the ones you put on your signs are all the same color ,sort of a cookie crumb trail, so to speak. They will follow your balloons all the way to your open house.

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful and very helpful input, I agree about staging and, Calie, you're absolutely right!  I also believe in staging as a short term investment.

Today I also tried something new while doing my open house, as we all know weekends are "The let's go look at properties day" most buyer drive by themselves, others with their agent, they see an open house sign, they walk in, they look at the asking price and they leave because perhaps the asking price is out of their price range, there nothing wrong with someone not wanting to buy a house they can't afford BUT they can buy one they CAN afford, So, I brougt with me three properties that are for sale in the same neighborhood where I'm holding my open house, the asking price is much lower and it could be something they can afford, if the buyer/s say my listing is out of their price range, I immediately tell them about the other listings close by and make an appointment on the spot to show them the other properties once I'm done with my open house.

I treat everyone who comes to my open houses the same, always greet them with respect and with a big smile.

 I have been successful working with people by just memorizing the next quote, it has worked for me "They must like me in order for them to listen to me and They Must Trust Me in order for Them to Work with Me" You add your knowledge and you'll be surprised of the results.