One thing I love about this business is getting ready for Open Houses. I haven't been doing this long enough to say that I have gotten a pattern of quantifiable results from what I do, and maybe it's busy work, but, when I'm getting the word out about my Open House, I feel like a kid again.
I'll start by going to the Car Wash. Everybody gets their cars washed on the weekend. I'll tape a few fliers in the public areas and maybe give a few to people if they're looking curious. After that, I'll go to the local Starbucks and pop one or two up where I can. Then, I'll go to all of the stores where I spend my money. I'll chat with them about business. I have good luck at the local liquor store with this. People tend to mill about, especially if there's a wine tasting. People love to talk about Real Estate, too.
I have a few parts of town where I know there is a high concentration of renters. I'll bring fliers with me and knock on doors. I call this the 'fixed bayonets' portion of my day. I always feel a bit dorky when I start, but how many lines of work are there where you can feel like it's Halloween? I find that, as long as you act like a normal human being, you'd be surprised how courteous people are with you. I'm good at making fun of myself, so I make a joke of things before I introduce myself, ask them if they live there, and give them a flier. Then, I ask them a simple question.
'When you have a question about Real Estate, who do you call?'
If they say nobody, I tell them I'd like to be that person. I ask them what specific information they'd like to receive from me. If their eyes begin to glaze over, I ask them if they've ever looked into loans, been to open houses, if they've even thought about buying, that it's easier than they think.
Sometimes, I leave them alone and move on.
My last stop is the street where I'm going to hold my Open House. Assuming it doesn't have a hundred homes on it, I knock on each door. When someone comes to answer, I introduce msyelf, tell them about the Open House, acknowledge how you never know whether it's protocol to visit a neighbors' open house and stress that they're very, very welcome to come. Then, I ask a few questions about the street. What do they like about it? What information will help me to help the family to sell it. I've gotten some good information this way.
I'd be the first to say that what I do is just a little over the top, but I find that people are fairly receptive to me if I do the following. First, I'm respectful. If it's clear that they don't want to deal with me, I hand them a flier and leave them alone. Second, I make it clear that, although I may be a little nervous, I'm having fun. I do my best to create a positive experience between us. I try to inform. I make light of things. I try to make people smile, but I also act professional. At the end of the day, I usually come home and tell my wife about a few nice connections I've made. I haven't had a single day where I felt it was a waste of time.
I could go on about my day but it's time to actually get up and do all of these things. Wish me luck!
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