"OPEN HOUSE"
Mothers Day, I held an open house and i was criticized by some of my peers for even trying on such a holiday. I always believed, try the unusual..what do ya have to lose>??
I was quite surprised when I had two families 'stop by" and one of them appeared extremely interested. In fact, invited other familiy members to join. Next thing I knew, i had like 6 members of one family at my open house.
A little over whelming I would admit....and my years of experience triggered a warning in me....This could be a "scam"..?..It just seemed too good to be true...When you have so many walking around in different directions thru-out the property..it's awkward keeping control. They even had their dog leased to front porch of property.
I took control and insisted , they all s
tayed with me thru out the property. The only thing I was able to offer, was let's all go outside and talk or to have them all sit in the living room. After viewing the property.
After about 1 hour or so of
serious dialogue, they left and wanted time to discuss before taking any further action.
So what was accomplished.....?
- I proved, Holiday Open Houses are worth the effort.
- I gained another prospective buyer or two from same family
- I demonstrated i'm a serious representative on behalf of my seller
- I impressed myself with 'large crowd control" tactics
- I exposed, positive, creative service to neighbors..perhaps influential to gain another listing
Of course, Open Houses do not sell much by % of success. Only 1% actually generate a sale here in Illinois. But why not give it a try...Next, Im thinking I'll execute creative "OPen House" strategy with Short Sale listings.
After all, Im a firm believer, Real Estate is a "contact sport"......
Best Wishes, Mike
