OPEN HOUSE NOTES
In a resort market like Ocean City, New Jersey with such a wide variety of sale listings, with many different properties capable of appealing to Buyers at any specific time; being at "the right place at the right time" is very important even if not possible. That's why I like "open house" showings ... you control the location, the hours ... the (hopefully) right place at the right time. And one way to make it that is to be consistent in getting the job done on a regular basis.
When the national economic impact across the country entered our televisions and newspapers and almost every place we exist; I determined that I had no control over any of that, but I did have control over my marketing plan which included "open houses." I informed all of my Sellers that I would be having open houses (two per weekend ... three hours on Saturday, three more on Sunday for three out of every four weeks until (at least) the "Spring Buying Period." I also told them that I would have a bulletin board at each location showing all of my sale listings and have a procedure for getting interested Buyers into ones that they wanted to see. I also told them that I would vary the open house locations, but the critical point would be to have that at locations that would attract the Buyers so that they would find out about all of the sale listings.
Did it work? Is it working? Yes ... maybe a "C+" rating through the end of October, the beginning of November, the weekend after Thanksgiving (much better), the weekends before Christmas (ok), the weekend after Christmas (poor), and the weekend after New Year's Eve (ok). So we've started out in the remaining January weekends (probably going to be the slowest traffic point) forgetting one important factor.
Almost all of the time, when the weather is going to be bad "in the real world" it will tend to keep these real world Buyers from coming down to the island. So this weekend was a flop. But like so many things in real estate, one can never be sure. The other interesting factor is that we have advertised almost every open house that we've held to date (when we started this award-winning goal), but from my many years of "open house experience"(I have always been an open house guy ... that type of real estate agent), I have found during many weekends just as much success with the unadvertised open house. Why? Because loads of people (including Buyers) drive around the island on Saturdays and Sundays. We're talking about the second home owner, the weekend rental group, the existing owners, and sometimes those lost due to a bad turn.
What does it mean? It depends who you ask ... what they say. But it also is the way I want to do it. I generally take some work with me. I never fall asleep. I dress with layers to stay warm in colder houses. And most of all I stay very positive. See you next weekend!!!
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